


Still Falling For You (Gilmore Girls)

by GGirl2017



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama & Romance, F/M, Lost Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-07 06:09:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 92,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11052933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GGirl2017/pseuds/GGirl2017
Summary: Five years after saying goodbye at Rory's graduation and living separate lives, Logan and Rory's path cross once again. Sparks fly, but life isn't as simple as it once was. Can they find a way back to each other?





	1. Gravity

Rory fiddled with her dress nervously as she walked into the Starlight Roof Ballroom on the 18th floor of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. She was used to attending work events but this one was going to be a little different.

“Rory, will you just stop fidgeting”

“Sorry” she looked up.

“Why are you so on edge anyhow?”

“Who me? I’m not on edge.” Rory said.

The truth was Rory’s stomach was doing flips right now because she knew at some point tonight she was going to have to face her ex-boyfriend. She had spent hours getting ready for the event tonight, not really knowing why it mattered to her so much. All she knew was that when she saw Logan tonight she wanted to look at her very best. It wasn’t that she was interested in him in that way, but rather that she knew she’d feel far more confident if she looked good. The black figure-hugging dress with its deep v-neckline, front and back, fitted the bill completely. It was one of the sexiest dresses she owned, wearing it always made her feel utterly desirable and paired with her silver sky high Manolo Blahnik pumps she felt pretty good about herself. She kept her make-up simple, with a light smoky eye shadow and a splash of deep red lipstick. She had curled her hair so it softly fell about her shoulders. Lastly, Rory went to her closet to find some appropriate jewelry to wear. She looked through her ever-growing collection and her hand stopped on a box she hadn’t looked it for quite a while. She paused before taking the piece out its box and fastening it on herself.

  
It had been five years since Rory had turned down Logan’s proposal at her graduation and while their paths had crossed once or twice since then, she had mainly managed to avoid him. It wasn’t that she had immediately stopped loving him, but initially, it had hurt too much to even hear his name and then as time went on she found herself growing angrier about how things had ended between them, even resentful towards him. As time went on she had managed to push him to the back of her mind and move on with her life. Now there were actually even days when she didn’t think about him at all.

However, all this was about to change. Earlier that week she discovered that the New York Times, the paper that she worked for as Features Editor and had been her home for the past two years after finishing her work on the Obama campaign trail, had just been bought out by Huntzberger Media. The company had been newly relaunched with a stronger focus on digital by the one and only Logan Huntzberger. The sudden news that Logan was essentially going to be her new boss had hit her like a freight train. She had tried everything she could to get out attending the gala tonight but she had been told by her manager Ed in no uncertain terms, that as a key member of staff at the paper she had to be in attendance. So here she was, doing her duty, sipping martinis, counting down the minutes until she could get out of there and hoping that the night was as uneventful as possible.

* * *

 

Logan had of course seen her name on the guest list and he had wondered if she would actually show up. When his father had called him and told him that he would be overseeing the new purchase of the New York Times and the digitization plan, Logan had very nearly refused, knowing full well that his ex-girlfriend worked there and was doing her best to move herself up the ranks. He really wasn’t sure if he could take working alongside her day in, day out. Sure, they had bumped into each other a few times since her graduation, mainly at stiff society events where there was no opportunity for anything other than basic pleasantries, but it had been stilted and awkward and Logan couldn’t imagine what it would be like to endure that on a daily basis.

When Rory had said no to getting married, Logan had walked away, not prepared to enter into any kind of long distance relationship while he would be working in California. It had therefore been quite a bitter pill to swallow when he had decided only six months later that the west coast really wasn’t for him and he came back to work for his father at The Huntzberger Group. It was his drive and passion for technology that saw him take up the role as Vice President and Digital Innovation Manager for the newly-formed Huntzberger Media and since coming back, he had thrown himself into his work, thoroughly enjoying what he had previously referred to as his ‘pre-ordained’ life. The truth was the newspaper and publishing industry was in his blood however much he had tried to run away from it.

He may have worked hard over the past few years but Logan also played hard. After he’d split up with Rory there had been no more girlfriends, nobody special at all but there had of course been a whole host of completely non-special girls flitting in and out of his life. That was until recently when he’d finally given in to his mother and agreed to go on a date with one of her friend's daughters. To his surprise, they had kind of hit it off and though he didn’t really see it going the distance, he couldn’t deny he was enjoying her company.

Logan had seen Rory walk into the gala on the arm of a tall, dark man. It had been a couple of years since he had last seen her at a party at her grandparent’s house. He normally avoided them like the plague but he happened to be at his parent's house that weekend and his mother had dragged him along in the hope of meeting a ‘nice young eligible lady’. Shira’s smile and turned to a scowl when she’d arrived to find Rory there but she needn’t have worried because other than a polite hello to each other, Logan and Rory didn’t talk to each other at the party at all.

Now here she was stood at the gala his company was throwing and she looked like million dollars. _“Scratch that,”_ he thought to himself, she looked like a billion dollars. He’d never ever seen her looking quite as elegant and sophisticated as she looked tonight. She had matured in every way possible over the past few years and was oozing confidence. _“Damn she looks hot,”_ he thought to himself, as he cursed under his breath. Logan couldn’t take his eyes off her and he was trying to summon up the courage to go over and say hello.

Rory stepped backwards as she moved out of the way to let someone past and accidentally knocked into someone standing right behind her. She spun around to apologize. “Oh I am so sorry,” she said to the tall blonde woman that she had almost knocked over .“I didn’t spill your drink did I?”

The blonde woman smiled at her “No, it’s fine, honestly”.

Rory smiled back, she was just about to turn away when she saw Logan approaching.

 _“Oh, shit,”_ she thought. _“Shit, shit, shit”_ She had known that she was going to have to speak to him at some point – after all they were going to be working in the same office as of next week but she had wanted it to be on her terms, she wanted to be in control of the situation. Now there was no escape and she knew she was on the backfoot, so she would just have to grin and bear it.

“Well of all the gin joints…” Logan said as he approached the women.

Rory closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Logan, it’s really good to see you,” she said with a somewhat forced smile. She stood awkwardly not really knowing what to do, whether she should shake his hand or not but before she could make up her mind he leaned across and gave her a polite kiss on each cheek. Rory bristled at the contact, it was the first time they had touched each other in five years.

“I see you’ve already met Natalie” he smiled and gestured to the blonde woman that she had just bumped into.

“Oh right, yes, accidentally” Rory smiled “Again, sorry about that”

“Hi, I’m Logan’s girlfriend” the blonde smiled at Rory and shot Logan a look. “You are…?”

“Oh, sorry I am being really rude. I’m Rory Attwood, this is my husband James. James, this is Logan Huntzberger and his girlfriend Natalie.”

“Nice to meet you both” James said as he extended his hand to them. “How do you know each other? Through the paper?” he asked as he took a swig of his drink.

Logan looked at Rory as they both paused for a minute, she opened her mouth to speak and he wondered just what version of their story she was going to go with. Rory could feel Logan looking at her but she didn’t make eye contact with him as she answered.

“No, not through the paper, well yes I guess now it is but…” she stumbled over her words and Logan looked down at the floor as he tried to hide his smirk. She was nervous and flustered and it kind of pleased him that clearly after all these years he still had some kind of effect over her.

“What I mean, is that Logan is essentially my new boss now that Huntzberger Media have bought the Times but we met when we were both studying at Yale.”

“Wow, college buddies? You never told me that you and your new boss went way back. I bet you have some stories about this one” James laughed as he put his arm around Rory’s shoulder and squeezed her tight.

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Logan thought to himself but he just smiled and nodded a little. He was slightly taken aback with how Rory had introduced him to her husband. Just someone she had met at Yale? The years of dating and living together, never mind the damn proposal clearly meant nothing to her.

Logan hadn’t been surprised when Rory’s introduced him to her husband. He’d seen the engagement and subsequent wedding announcement in the New York Times, and of course the numerous paparazzi photos that often appeared in Page Six. James Attwood was a prominent Broadway actor who apparently Rory had met when interviewing him for a feature in the newspaper. He’d heard all about it from his mother who had been almost bursting to tell him what she’d heard from Emily at their DAR meeting. Logan had kind of switched off to it but from what he had picked up James was nothing like Rory’s usual ‘type’, but they had hit it off immediately and less than a year later they were married in a whirlwind ceremony at The Plaza.

The couples exchanged pleasantries for a few more moments until Rory made their excuses and they moved away.

“So, you went to college together?” James asked her as they walked away.

“Huh?” Rory looked at him. Her mind was somewhere else altogether.

“You and that Huntzberger guy. You were at college together. Did you date?” he asked. James had definitely picked up on some awkward vibe between the pair and he wanted to know more.

“Erm, a little” Rory wrinkled her nose. It was not the time nor the place to get into that conversation.

“So, nothing serious then?”

“No!” Rory snapped at him “What is with the twenty questions, yes we dated a bit at college but it was like a lifetime ago.” She rubbed her face with her hand. “Ugh, sorry James. Look I am just going to go the ladies room and freshen up.”

James watched his wife walk across the dancefloor towards the bathroom. He knew that something had gotten under her skin that night and he highly suspected it had something to do with her new boss.

Logan watched as Rory made her way to the bathroom and discreetly followed her out of the ballroom. He waited outside the ladies room for her to come out and caught her by the arm as she had made her way past without looking at him. He glanced down at her wrist as she pulled it free from him and was surprised to see the tennis bracelet that he had bought her for Valentines Day all those years ago sparkling on her wrist.

“Logan” she gasped “What are you doing?” she said as she looked around to see if anyone was looking at them.

“We ‘met’ at Yale? Really?” Logan raised an eyebrow at her.

“That’s the truth isn’t it?”

Logan shook his head. It was far from the truth and she knew it. “Sure, if that’s how you want to remember it. I, however, choose to remember it slightly differently.”

Rory closed her eyes. “What do you want me to say?”

“I’m just surprised that you never told your husband about us is all.”

Rory just shrugged and looked up at the ceiling. “It just didn’t seem…relevant” she said before she turned and quickly walked away from Logan.

She knew that she had to get away from Logan. Despite all the time that had passed, and despite the fact that she was pretty sure she didn’t love him anymore, there had always been something about him that made her feel unsure of herself. Rory turned the corner and leant back against the wall to take a breather as she listened to the song that the band were playing in the ballroom.

_Something always brings me back to you_   
_It never takes too long_   
_No matter what I say or do_   
_I'll still feel you here 'till the moment I'm gone_

_Set me free, leave me be_   
_I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity_   
_Here I am, and I stand_   
_So tall, just the way I'm supposed to be_   
_But you're on to me and all over me_

She closed her eyes. It was all too much for her tonight and she had to get out of there. She was angry at the sudden interference in her life which for the most part was running completely on track and she was not happy with how unsettled seeing Logan tonight had made her feel.

Rory went back into the ballroom where she found James talking to some of her colleagues at the bar.

“James,” she said as she tugged on his arm “I don’t feel very well. We’re leaving”. Her husband looked at her slightly confused.

“Everything okay?” he asked her.

“I just need to get out of here, okay?” she shot at him.

James put his hands up in defense and rolled his eyes at her colleagues. “Okay, okay, let’s go, sweetie”.

Logan watched from the other side of the room as James helped Rory into her coat. He recognized the look on her face, she was angry but trying to hide it. He wondered just who she was angry with – was it him or her husband? His own question was answered as he saw James pull on her coat to drag her closer to him. He whispered something in her ear and Rory giggled before they headed out of the ballroom hand in hand, but not before she glanced over her shoulder one last time and locked eyes with Logan.

* * *

 

**A/N: And here it is, my newest story. I hope you like it – please let me know your thoughts! Song lyrics are Sara Bareilles ‘Gravity’**


	2. Love and Fear

Although Rory had successfully survived her first encounter with Logan and had come out of it relatively unscathed, she still felt a little like the Earth’s axis had shifted somehow. She lay in bed the next morning feeling slightly dazed by the whole thing. Seeing Logan last night had caused every good memory and all the emotions attached to them to hit her all at once. It was almost like she had completely forgotten about some of them until just that moment, but she knew that for the most part, she had just pushed them to the back of her mind. The feelings had become so strong after he had confronted her outside the bathroom that she had no choice but to remove herself from the gala as quick as possible. They always had such a strong connection and she was surprised by the force of it, she wondered if he could feel it too.

It had been five years since her heart had shattered into tiny pieces as she had watched Logan walk away from her at Yale. Looking back, had she known that moment really was going to be the end of their relationship she might have called after him or stopped him but hindsight is a wonderful thing and she had never thought it possible that was how their story was going to end, so abruptly. Rory had clung on to every last bit of hope for the next few weeks but Logan never called and her own stupid pride prevented her from picking up the phone and begging for him to compromise in some way. She had loved how things used to be between them and it had made her incredibly sad every time she thought about it, knowing that neither of them had actually fallen out of love with each other, yet they weren’t together. It was at that point that Rory learned that love does not, in fact, conquer all and it felt that they had just thrown everything away carelessly.

As time went by, in the first couple of years after they broke up she had contemplated storming the castle and invading his life and there had been many times that she had regretted not just doing that, but the fact remained that he had chosen to walk away from her so who was she to go chasing after him, knowing that’s not what he wanted.

Before James came along, she had pretty much accepted the fact that she would probably never fully love another man, not in the way she loved Logan, so completely – she loved all of his flaws and all his mistakes. With the distance that was between them now, she appreciated that she was lucky to have had the opportunity to experience that once-in-a-life-time ridiculously inconvenient all-encompassing love that so many others don’t get to feel and regardless of what still lay under the surface, she had made her peace and was now in a happy healthy relationship with a wonderful man, who she loved, even if she found impossible to love him with her whole heart.

Rory had met James Attwood at the opening night of the Broadway show that he was currently starring in. She was interviewing him for a first-night review piece for the Times and they had hit it off immediately. Rory had been single for a while and loved the flirting and attention she was receiving from this good-looking man and he basically swept her off her feet. A well-known actor, on paper they were pretty much a bad fit from the start but as they had got to know each other, they realised they had more than in common than they had originally thought and their relationship developed quickly. So quickly, that within six months James had asked Rory to marry him and to the surprise of pretty much everyone including herself she said yes. Being faced with a proposal for the second time in her life had kind of blindsided her and deep down she thought it was too soon in their relationship, way too soon, however, Rory had already said no to one man and he had left her because of it. She was scared if she turned down this proposal she would be left on her own once again.

There had been moments in the run up to the wedding where Rory had wondered if she was really doing the right thing but she knew that she could love James - albeit a quiet and steady love and nothing like the burning passion that she had once felt for Logan. Even though she never really wanted to admit it to herself, there was always a part of her that was still hung up on Logan and the worst thing was, she never expected it go away.

XXXXXXXXX

James knew that something was up with Rory. She had been acting strangely at the gala last night and afterwards, when they arrived home she wasn’t really herself. It all seemed to be connected to her new boss. He would admit to being a little surprised when Rory had told him that she had dated Logan but he had been relatively soothed by her telling him that it had been nothing serious. He was sure she probably dated lots of different people in her time at Yale and that Logan was just one of them. James figured that is why she had never mentioned him before.

Rory’s strange mood had continued the next morning so he had left her in bed a little longer. She was up and about now, he could hear her moving around the bedroom and he was really hoping that she was in a better mood. There was something on his mind that he really wanted to talk to her about. He looked up as she entered the living room.

“Is there coffee?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’ll go get you some,” James said as he stood up.

“No it’s okay, I can get it myself,” Rory said as she started to walk towards the kitchen.

“It’s fine, sit, I want to talk to you about something”

“That sounds ominous,” Rory thought to herself as she sat down on the sofa. She hoped and prayed that it was nothing that he had picked up from the previous night. She had tried really hard to act completely normal around Logan, not wanting to give away that he had been such an integral part of her life. All James knew was that they once dated – Rory slightly regretted how she downplayed it, she knew she probably should have told him the truth.

James came back into the room and carefully handed Rory her hot cup of coffee. She thanked him and looked at him carefully as he took a seat opposite her. He looked nervous and she wondered what could possibly be on his mind.

“What did you want to talk about,” Rory said as she absentmindedly flicked through a magazine and took a sip of her coffee.

“I think we should have a baby”

Rory spluttered on her drink. “I beg your pardon?” she said as she looked up at him and put her cup down on the coffee table.

“I think we should start trying for a baby Rory,” he said as he reached over and grabbed hold of her hand. “We’ve been married for a little while now and you know people will be expecting it…”

“Seriously? I don’t care if people are expecting it!” Rory pulled her hand away and slammed her magazine shut.

“It’s time though, don’t you think? We talked about it before…we both said it was what we wanted.” James reasoned.

“I…I know we did but that doesn’t mean I am ready to do it now. I have my job to consider and…” Rory couldn’t quite find the words she wanted to say. How could she tell this man, that loved her so much that the thought of having a baby right now horrified her? What she couldn’t work out was why it horrified her.

“You can put your job on hold for a bit, couldn’t you? There’s no reason for us not to start now and you know it.”

Rory got up off the sofa and walked over to the window where she stood and looked at the city streets below. He was right, she knew he was right. This had always been part of their plan. They had discussed it previously and there was no real reason not to start trying. As much as she loved her job and didn’t want to walk away from it right now, she knew it would still be there for while she took a break. Rory really didn’t have much of a defense other than the niggling doubts that were so strong in her head. She was pretty sure she wasn’t ready to take that next step but then she wondered if she’d ever be ready.

“Come on Rory,” James said as he stood behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist. “It will be great. Just imagine, a little piece of you and me running around forever.”

Rory took a deep breath and relaxed into him. “Yeah, okay, let’s see what happens,” she said, against her better judgement. This was her life now, the life she had chosen.

“You want to start trying right now?” he said as he gently trailed kisses down her neck.

Rory closed her eyes as she soaked in the sensation. He knew exactly how to attack her weak spot. “Now?!” she squealed as James picked her up.

“No time like the present” he laughed as he carried her to the bedroom.

XXXXXXXXX

“Gilmore’s House of Horrors”

“Mom, that’s no way to talk about Luke” Rory joked.

“Loinfruit! It’s been so long since we spoke I barely recognized your voice” Lorelai said her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Rory rolled her eyes even though her mother couldn’t see them. She felt a little guilty that she didn’t call home quite as often these days but life in the city was hectic at times. “It’s only been about a week and you know, I’ve been busy.”

“Too busy for mama. That makes me do a sad” Lorelai said in a little voice down the line.

“I’m talking to you now, aren’t I? Anyhow, I have two pieces of news.” Rory bit her lip as he tried to decide which news she should give her mother first, knowing there’d be a copious amount of questions about both.

“Good or bad,” Lorelai asked.

Rory paused “I think that kind of depends on your point of view I guess.”

“Ooh, intrigue I like it. Okay, hit me.”

“So…James wants us to start trying for a baby” Rory said quickly.

“What, really?” Lorelai shrieked. Secretly she was desperate for a new baby in the family but she hadn’t imagined it was anywhere on Rory’s radar yet.

“Really. In fact, I think we may have just started trying” Rory laughed a little.

Lorelai grimaced. “Ewww. That is too much information for momma. How do you feel about it though? Do you think you are ready for this? I mean, I know you were excited about all the new things happening at work…”

“Ah work, well that leads me nicely on to my second piece of news. So you know that the newspaper got bought out last week, don’t you? Well my new boss, Logan, starts in the office on Monday.” Rory said.

“Logan? As in Huntzberger?” Lorelai questioned.

“The one and the same”

“Oh, Rory.” Lorelai knew that whatever her daughter might have told her or even believed herself, Logan was always going to have an impact on her. She just hoped that Rory was strong enough now to push through and not let it affect her life.

“Tell me about it. I saw him last night” She bit her lip nervously.

“You did? How did that go?”

“As awkward and unpleasant as you might imagine.” Rory half-joked. “We said our polite hellos, I met his girlfriend, he met my husband. It was suitably uncomfortable.”

Lorelai paused while she contemplated asking the next question. In the end, she just decided to go for it figuring there was no other way to ask what she wanted to know. “Did you feel anything for him?”

Rory gasped. “What? No! Of course not, that ship sailed a long time ago. It’s not even a dot on the horizon anymore. I can’t believe you even asked that it’s been five years mom!”

“Jeez, just asking.” Lorelai thought that they lady doth protest too much but she wasn’t going to push the issue now. “Well that’s good right, I mean, that will make things a bit easier at work, presuming you’ll have to work together at some point.”

“God, I hope so, I hadn’t really thought about that too much” Rory groaned as she threw herself down on the sofa and wondered just how she was going to cope with seeing Logan every day.


	3. It Hurts

When Monday morning rolled around Rory put her best foot forward and walked bright and breezily into her office at the New York Times with an air of confidence, her outward persona not being a true reflection of what was actually bubbling under the surface.

The newsroom had been completely abuzz with nervous energy since the Huntzberger takeover. People were on edge as they wondered just how much the new owners would change things or whether they'd be able to hold on to their jobs should there be any restructuring. Rory, however, was nervous for another reason altogether. She knew that she was going to have to face Logan at some point this week, and if she was really unlucky, Mitchum Huntzberger. That had always been a precarious relationship and one that she wasn't exactly relishing having to rekindle.

The first few days as part of Huntzberger Media had gone well by anyone's standards. The team were all quite taken with Logan and he had developed an easy rapport with everyone. Rory noticed that he worked very differently from his father, treating his staff as people rather than numbers on the payroll. She was glad that so far she'd managed to avoid any awkward situations with Logan and as yet, nobody in the office was even aware that they had a past together, which as far as she was concerned was the best way for it to be.

Logan had been far too busy to dwell on the situation too much. His father was due into the office early next week to see how things were shaping up and he wanted everything to be ready for his visit. Aside from being present in a few meetings together, his path really hadn't crossed with Rory's all that much but he knew her well enough to notice that in those meetings she was clearly uncomfortable and wouldn't make eye contact. It wasn't an ideal situation for them to be in. He doubted that anyone would enjoy having to suddenly start working with their ex but he held on the fact that they were both adults and he was confident that they could rise above it and maintain their professionalism – that is if he could only stop thinking about her.

When Mitchum had announced that he was going to buy the New York Times and told Logan that he would be heading it up for a while, he had felt a little excited about the prospect of seeing her again. He was fully aware that she worked there, having followed her work for some time. Logan had been surprised to see that Rory had decided to use her married name professionally as when they had been together she had always maintained that when she made it as a journalist she would be "Rory Gilmore" on her bylines forever. But things change and she was no longer Rory Gilmore, she was now Rory Attwood – wife of a major Broadway star. Logan really hadn't dealt with the news of her marriage very well. He knew it was nothing to do with him and their relationship was completely in the past but there were times when he wondered why she chose to marry James when she had turned him down. He could only presume that what she felt for James was stronger than the feelings she had ever had for him and that was something he didn't want to think about.

Logan knew that he and Rory couldn't avoid each other forever, they'd done well managing three days in the same office without talking to each other yet, so he decided just to get it out of the way and called his secretary to ask her to come see him.

Rory had just settled down at her desk to read through some draft articles that had been submitted for her to review when her desk phone rang.

"Rory Attwood"

"Oh, Ms Attwood, it's Celia from Mr Huntzbergers office. Mr Huntzberger has asked that you come by, he'd like to speak to you briefly."

Rory closed her eyes. "Shit," she thought to herself. There was no way of getting out of this. When you were called to the boss's office you had to go.

"Now?" she asked, as she hoped for a short reprieve.

"If you could," Celia said politely.

"Okay, I'll be there in five." Rory replaced the handset and tried to gather her thoughts as she got up and slowly made her way to Logan's office on the 7th floor. When she got to his office he was waiting for her.

"Sorry to be so formal" he smiled "but when you have all of this at your disposable, might as well make the most of it. Come in" he said as he closed the door behind her.

Rory stood awkwardly by the desk.

"You can sit..." he gestured to the chair opposite him.

"I'd rather stand if it's all the same."

Logan shrugged "Your prerogative." He said as he took his seat.

"In the interest of saving time, why don't you just tell me what you want," Rory said, in a slightly shorter tone than she had intended. She bit her lip trying hard to remind herself that Logan was not just her ex-boyfriend anymore but he was her boss now too and the person who paid her wages.

"I just wanted to know how you wanted to play this?" he said casually.

Rory looked at him. "I'm sorry I don't understand."

"This, us..." he trailed off.

"There's nothing to play." Rory shrugged.

"So we're going to pretend like we don't really know each other?" Logan said incredulously.

"That suits me just fine," Rory said.

"We're going to act like we've never even kissed...let alone..."

Rory blushed a little and interrupted him before he went any further, she didn't need to be reminded of anything that had done in the past. "Logan – can I call you Logan or should it be Mr Huntzberger now?" She wasn't entirely sure what the protocol was when your boss used to be someone you had been extremely intimate with.

"Logan is just fine" he smirked.

"Logan..." she continued. "I've spent what I would say is the best part of five years trying to forget about you and pretend you don't exist. I'm pretty sure I can make that last a bit longer. Nobody here knows our history and I would prefer it to stay that way."

"You've never thought about us?" Logan was quite taken aback by the bitterness in her voice.

Rory couldn't believe what she was hearing "There is no us! That 'us' ended when you walked away from me, remember? You didn't even try to save our relationship."

"As I remember you made it pretty clear what your priorities were Rory." Logan said, "and I see you achieved what you wanted, for the most part so right decision, huh."

"My priority at that time was establishing myself and my career. Just because I didn't want to marry you right then, that didn't mean I wanted our relationship to end, you made that decision all on your own. I loved you and you broke my heart." Rory said as she looked away, willing herself not to cry.

Logan winced at hearing those words come from Rory.

"Ugh Logan, I don't want to do this here. Can't you see? This is exactly why we should just keep everything super professional and if that means trying to erase the fact that we ever had a relationship and that I ever loved you, then I am all for it. Can I go now?" she asked as she gestured towards the door.

Logan said nothing but nodded an acknowledgement before watching her leave.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rory sat back at her desk just staring at her computer screen until someone's bottom landed on the desk next to her and a hand reached into her bag of donuts. She looked up and saw it was Kate. Kate Weston was a photographer with the New York Times and had joined the newspaper around the same time as Rory. They had bonded quickly and become fast friends.

"What's going on Rory?" Kate said as she munched on her stolen donut.

Rory looked up at Kate "Nothing" she said as she forced a smile.

"Come on, you're not yourself today at all...and wow you're pale, you like you've seen a ghost"

"Maybe I have," Rory said as she put her head on the desk.

Kate looked at her friend strangely. "A real ghost? Because if you have then I think perhaps you're working too hard..." she joked.

"No, not a real ghost, the ghost of relationships past."

Kate raised an eyebrow "Really?"

"Ugh, I can't talk about it right now." Rory shook her head. She knew she'd tell Kate eventually but now was not the time nor the place. "We'll talk later, okay?"

"Sure, when you're ready," Kate said as she walked out of Rory's office.

Rory opened her email application and started to type out a new message. She felt slightly bad on returning to her desk, that maybe she had been a little harsher than was necessary. There was something else she wanted to say but there was no way that she was going back in to see Logan now, so, for now, an email would have to suffice.

To: Logan.huntzberger@huntzbergermedia.com

From: Rory.attwood@nytimes.com

Subject: Us

Message:

Logan, Of course, I have thought about you every now again, you were a big, important part of my life but it's been such a long time since we were together. I've got a good life now and I have moved on, we both have, so when you do cross my mind, I've tried my hardest to push it to one side because it's not helpful to dwell on the past.

I try not to think about what might have been because that was then and this is now, and we have both taken very different roads to get to where we are. There's no going back.

We could talk about this all night long and wonder why we didn't make it or what we could have done different, or who hurt who the most, but honestly, what's the point?

The time we spent together were some of the best days of my life but we have no choice, we have to leave them in the past now and that's why I think it's best for everyone involved if we just try to forget about that time and move forward.

Rory

Rory reread her message and pressed send.

Logan heard the ping that signalled an incoming email and looked up at his laptop. Seeing that it was from Rory and noticing the subject line, he held his breath for a moment before clicking on it to open it, fully expecting it to be a continuation of Rory's rant but he was somewhat surprised by the content. It had hurt him to think that she could so easily pretend that they had been nothing but here she was, admitting that she did think about him and if he were to carefully read between the lines, remembering the past and what they used to mean to each other seemed to be as difficult and painful for her as it was for him. He closed down the email. There was no response required.

Rory and Logan mainly kept their distance from each other in the week that followed their abrupt conversation, acknowledging each other only where necessary with a small nod or polite smile. For some reason, Rory found herself working later and later each day, not really wanting to go home. It wasn't really that she was avoiding him but James was in between shows. This meant he was at home a lot at the moment and she just felt a little claustrophobic. The fact that Rory was still at her desk late most nights didn't pass Logan by.

"Here," a voice said as a coffee cup appeared by Rory.

She looked up from what she was working on and saw Logan standing by her desk.

"It's Friday night Rory, make sure you don't stay too late," he said to her, noticing how tired she looked.

"Thanks, Logan," she said as she picked up the coffee "I need this."

And the truth was she really did need it. She hadn't been sleeping well and tiredness was getting the better of her. She knew that a shot of caffeine was unlikely to help her sleep any better tonight but right now she needed the energy buzz.

"My pleasure." He said as he walked towards the door. "Rory?" he said as she stopped and looked back.

"Yes?" she said as she looked up at him again.

"I know this is a really weird situation to be in but I hope that we can find a way to be friends"

Rory smiled. "I'd like that Logan."

"Okay then. See you Monday?" Logan said.

"Sure. Have a good weekend" Rory said as she watched him walk away.


	4. Levitate

Over the course of the next few weeks, Rory found herself inadvertently spending more time getting ready for work in the mornings, something that didn’t go unnoticed by her husband. As she stood deliberating whether she should wear her hair up or down, James walked up behind her and admired the fitted blue dress she was wearing. 

“You look nice today,” he said as he slipped his arms around her waist.

“Oh, thanks.” Rory said distractedly “Can you zip me up?” she turned to her husband so he could pull up the zip on the back that covered the length of her dress.

“Are you going out somewhere?” he asked when he had finished zipping her up

“No” Rory shook her head. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason, you just look a bit more dressed up than usual”.

The sexual tension between Rory and Logan had grown immensely over the past few weeks. It seemed that she looked forward to going to work more than ever. She even found herself making excuses to go into his office just to see him. She felt like they were playing a dangerous game and on more than one occasion she had felt him practically undressing her with his eyes. Not that she minded one little bit, on the contrary, it made her feel both nervous and excited when she caught him doing it and now she was playing right into it.

“So what’s with the outfit?” James pressed on.

“Oh, this?” Rory said as she smoothed it down “I just haven’t worn it for ages and the big boss is coming in today so I want to make a good impression” She said as she fixed her diamond stud earrings into place.

It was half a truth. Mitchum was due into the office today but if she were, to be honest with herself he wasn’t exactly the Huntzberger she was preening herself for and both her, and her husband knew that.

\---

The first item on her agenda for the day and one of the reasons she had wanted to look extra-good that morning was knowing that her first appointment of the day was with Logan, who had called a meeting with some of the editors for a brainstorming session.

Rory made her way to the boardroom where their meeting was due to be held. As she walked into the room Logan came up behind her.

He leaned in close to her. "Nice outfit, but you know you don’t have to dress up for me?" he whispered in her ear. Logan had been following her down the corridor and had been blown away by how she looked. She always managed to stop him in his tracks but today she looked incredible with her form-fitting dress showing off ever curve, her hair in soft curls down around her shoulders, the way he always liked it.

Rory didn’t turn to look at him. "Don’t flatter yourself Huntzberger," she smiled, secretly pleased that the dress had the desired effect. She knew she was playing with fire, but nobody was getting hurt, but it was just a bit of fun, right? 

Logan was leading the session and as much as Rory tried to fight it and concentrate on the task at hand, she just couldn’t take her eyes off him. She enjoyed watching him and his whole attitude was a huge turn on for her. Although they had been together when he first started out in his career, she had never witnessed him at work and seeing him in action was something to behold, he just oozed confidence.

In turn, Logan couldn’t stop watching Rory and the way she bent over the table to help with the mind maps or the way she sashayed her way down the room to get coffee. She was captivating and his mind kept travelling off to far off places where all he wanted to do was pull down the zip on that dress and discover what was underneath. 

Despite all the distractions, the session was really quite productive and Rory, having initially been dreading having to work in close proximity to Logan found herself really enjoying it. They were getting on really well with each other and had slipped into an easy routine of banter and teasing, and it felt a little like old times. As the meeting came to a close, Rory collected up all of her belongings and began to head out of the room but as she did she accidentally tripped on the back leg of a chair.

“Oh fuck,” Rory said as she dropped the pile of papers she was carrying and Logan stooped down to help her pick them up.

"Oh, that's very ladylike," Logan said pretending to be shocked.

"I never claimed to be a lady." Rory laughed.

"Always good to know. I'll keep that in mind Ace." Logan raised an eyebrow as he handed over her stuff.

Rory froze when she heard Logan calling her ‘Ace’. It had been five long years since she’d heard that term of endearment slip from his lips and it made her blood run cold. She had missed hearing him saying that and in the early months after her break up she would have done anything to hear him calling her that again but had resigned herself to the fact it would never happen. Now she was here, did he still think of her as his Ace? The slip of the tongue and overt familiarity didn’t go unnoticed by their colleagues either who looked at each and wondered just where that nickname had come from all of a sudden. Rory stood and smiled briefly before she turned to follow the other editors out of the room. She was almost all the way out of the door when she felt a firm hand on her arm, pulling her back into the room. 

“Logan?” she said, slightly breathless at finding herself in such close proximity to him. She leaned back against the wall to put a bit of space between them.

“I just wanted to apologize…for calling you…that,” Logan said without taking his hand off her arm. “It just slipped out.” Logan had seen the surprise on her face as soon as he said it and the truth was, he didn’t really know where it had come from either. 

“It’s fine” Rory shook her head “Don’t worry about it.”

Logan stepped a little closer to her. “Are you sure, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.” He said as he met her eyes.

Rory subconsciously broke the eye contact and glanced down at his lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss them. “Get back in the room Rory!” she thought as she snapped herself out of it. 

“Absolutely,” she said as she moved away from him “I’d better get going…” she said as she moved back towards the door. “Unless there was anything else you wanted?”

“No” Logan smiled at her “That’s all for now”

Rory stepped out of the room. Her heart racing she took a deep breath. Being that close to Logan was intoxicating. She needed some air and she needed it fast.

\---

Kate and Rory sat at the bar of their favorite pizza restaurant just around the corner from the New York Times building. After her close encounter with Logan, she had desperately needed to get herself out of the office. She ordered a large glass of white wine and practically knocked it back in one go before ordering another.

“Whoa, girl! Slow down, we’ve still got the afternoon to get through, it’s not going to look good when you pass out on your desk.” Kate laughed. “Bad meeting?”

“No, it was fine,” Rory said.

“Then what?” Kate asked as she looked at her friend.

“Okay, what I tell you now doesn’t go any further. Do you remember the other week when you said I looked like I had seen a ghost…” Rory paused.

Kate nodded. “I do. What was all that about? The ghost of relationships past?”

“Yeah, that. Well, I guess I should tell you more about that really, but it’s complicated. The ghost…kind of happens to be our new boss.”

Kate looked at Rory with an open mouth. “What!” she gasped. She had noticed that they were quite friendly and that they seemed to be pretty comfortable with each other but she’d just put it down to their personalities and the fact they had known each other at college. “You dated Logan Huntzberger? Man, he is damn hot. I’m a little jealous.” Kate winked.

“I think it would be fair to say that it was slightly more than dating” Rory wrinkled her nose “but please, this does not leave this room right?” she looked at Kate.

“Scout’s honor” Kate confirmed.

“You know, that promise would mean a whole lot more if you were actually a scout.” Rory rolled her eyes. “Logan and I were together, exclusively, for a couple of years when we were at Yale and we shared an apartment for part of that time.”

“You lived together? This is blowing my tiny mind!” Kate squealed.

“Well, you just hold on right there because I am about to blow your mind even further…the reason we broke up…” Rory bit her lip, it was still so hard to talk about “He asked me to marry him at my graduation and I said no.”

“Oh. My. God. Shut the front door!” Kate gasped. “So you and Huntzberger were actually serious? Like proper serious. Like you could have been Mrs Huntzbeger.”

“Yep,” Rory nodded and sipped her wine.

“Wow. Oh, this must be awkward.” Kate said looking at Rory sympathetically.

“It was awkward, but we cleared the air a little and it’s okay now, except…” Rory stopped and pulled a face at her friend.

“…except?” Kate encouraged her to continue.

“Things have got a little bit flirty between us.”

Kate thought for a moment. “Well, that’s okay, if it’s just a bit of harmless fun? We all enjoy a bit of flirting every now and then.”

“I guess.” Rory was unsure.

“Does James know about him?” Kate asked as she took a sip of her drink.

“He knows we dated because he asked me at the gala but I didn’t really tell him any more than that.”

“Any reason why?” Kate raised an eyebrow at her friend. “I mean, clearly you were nearly engaged to the guy, I can’t believe it never came up with James at all in the past few years?”

Rory shrugged “Logan broke my heart. I didn’t ever want to talk about it with anyone. Anyhow at the gala, I just panicked. I was all flustered. Logan does that to me, the guy is my Kryptonite.” Rory sighed and looked at her watch. “It’s nearly 2 pm, we’d better get back. Not a word of this to anyone!”

 

Rory and Kate walked back into the office and straight into the big man himself. Kate recognized him of course, everyone in the industry knew who Mitchum Huntzberger was.

“Rory! Good to see you.” Mitchum bellowed. Some of her team looked up in surprise that their editor seemed to know Mitchum so well. “How have you been Rory? Must have been, what, five years or more since I last saw you?”

“Something like that” Rory smiled. Mitchum knew exactly how long it had been. “I’m good thank you Mr Huntzberger”

“Oh please, call me Mitchum. I heard you got married?” he asked.

“That’s right,” Rory said as she fiddled with her wedding ring “Eighteen months ago.”

‘Ah well, belated congratulations.” Mitchum smiled and nodded at her as he continued to walk through the office.

Rory breathed out as he walked away. 

“First name terms with the great Mitchum Huntzberger huh” Kate elbowed her friend.

“Well he was almost my father-in-law” Rory grimaced.

\--- 

“So, how are you finding it working with the lovely Miss Gilmore,” Mitchum asked his soon as he leaned back in the chair in Logan’s office.

“It’s Ms Attwood now,” Logan said as he sipped his coffee.

“I heard” Mitchum smirked. “Awkward?”

“A little at first but it’s fine now.” Logan said hesitantly “We’re friends.”

“She’s grown into a very beautiful young woman.” Mitchum looked at Logan.

“She was always beautiful” Logan acknowledged.

“True” Mitchum nodded as he picked up his drink.

“You really just want to sit talking about Rory or shall we get down to business?” 

Mitchum duly noted his son’s irritation so he decided, as much as enjoyed provoking his son for a reaction, that he wouldn’t push the conversation anymore. He knew that after the painful break-up with Rory, Logan had struggled to form any other sort of meaningful long-lasting relationship, it had cut deep to the core. Mitchum wondered just how it was affecting him having to work at such close quarters with someone he came so close to marrying. Only time would tell.


	5. Bottled Up

A/N: SORRY SOMETHING WENT WRONG AND A CHAPTER DIDN'T POST SO YOU MAY BE CONFUSED WITH THE LAST PART OF THE STORY. PLEASE GO BACK AND READ AGAIN NOW I HAVE FIXED IT! CHAPTER 3 : IT HURTS WAS MISSING!

 

After her close encounter with Logan, Rory decided that she really needed to try and stop the flirting that seemed to come so easily, and she tried hard to keep things to as professional as possible. This was made somewhat easier by the fact that Mitchum had been spending more time at the offices and with all the changes that were coming in, her work life was increasingly busy. A few uneventful weeks passed by with Rory and Logan talking when necessary but generally keeping their conversations to work-related subjects.

When he had called her Ace, it had surprised them both and been somewhat of a wake-up call. Nobody in the office, other than Kate, knew anything about their past, although there had been a few whispers as to the nature of their relationship as quite a few people had started to suspect that actually Rory and Logan knew each other a little better than they were letting on. Logan knew that there had been something brewing between them but was slightly relieved that the flirting had cooled off a little, mainly because he didn’t trust himself not to push it further He had to keep reminding himself that Rory was married now, she belonged to someone else, however much he hated it.

For Rory, things with James had become quite tense and she felt like perhaps they were on a downward spiral. James was starting to believe that Rory was harboring feelings for Logan and he was becoming more and more insecure about their working together. He just had a strong feeling that he wasn’t party to the whole truth about Rory and Logan. Rory hardly mentioned him at all when talking about work and to him that spoke volumes. Unfortunately, James was also heaping pressure on her about getting pregnant, even though they hadn’t really been trying that long. Rory didn’t really understand his sudden determination and urgency when it came to having a baby but the pressure was starting to get to her.

\-----

“Hey Rory, some of us are going out for a drink in a minute, you up for it?” Kate asked when she stopped by Rory’s office.

“Erm, not sure. James had mentioned meeting for dinner before his performance tonight but it wasn’t set in stone, I’ll give him a call and find out what his plans are” she said as she pulled her cell phone out to call him.

“Hey Rory,” James said as he answered the call. He always called her Rory and she often wondered why he’d never had a nickname or other term of endearment for her.

“Oh, hey. I was just wondering if we were still planning on meeting up later or not?” she asked casually.

“Ah I wanted to but one of the cast has called in sick which means the understudy has to come on and I need to go through a few scenes with him. Raincheck?” James asked.

“Yeah sure, that’s fine. I’ve actually been asked out for drinks with some of the team here, so I’ll probably go along and do that if you’re busy.”

“Who is going?” James asked. Rory noticed the sudden change in his tone.

“Oh I don’t know, Kate will be there, a few other guys from floor I guess…” Rory wasn’t being purposely obtuse, she really didn’t know.

“Logan?”

“Maybe, I don’t know,” she said wondering why James was singling him out. “Probably not, I doubt the boss wants to come and fraternize with his minions” Rory tried to make a joke to lighten the mood which had suddenly got heavier.

“Will you be out late, I could come and meet you when I’m done?”

“No, you don’t need to do that” Rory said sharply. James had never felt the need to meet her before when she was out with her colleagues, and it suddenly felt like he was checking up on her and she didn’t like it one little bit.

“Fine. Well don’t drink too much, we’re meant to be trying for a baby, it’s not going to help if you come in rolling drunk” James snapped at her.

Rory sighed. “You are impossible when you’re like this, what is your problem?”

“What is MY problem? Do you really want to know what my problem is?” James said, with a veiled threat.

“I’m not doing this with you right now. I’ll see you at home later.” Rory said as she ended the call. Feeling frustrated and annoyed, she closed her laptop and picked up her bag and followed her friend to the bar.

Rory was so mad with James at that moment and decided to deal with it in the best way she knew – with tequila shots. After she had downed the fifth Logan suddenly appeared by her side. She was surprised to see him as she hadn’t even been aware that he was there up until that point.

“You might want to slow down on those,” he said as he gestured at her empty glasses.

“Is that an order from the boss?” Rory joked.

“No, I just remember all too well what happened when you started nailing the shots at one of Finn’s parties” he winked. “Can I have a glass of water for the lady?” he asked the barman.

“No, no water. Water bad” Rory said with a hiccup “More tequila” she smiled.

“Why don’t we go sit down for a bit?” Logan said as he took Rory by the arm and directed her to a booth. She was definitely erring on the side of drunk and was starting to look a bit unsteady on her feet.

She leaned back and rested her head on the seat behind her. “Are you happy Logan?” Rory asked as she sipped her water.

Logan looked at her a little surprised, wondering where that had come from. “Happy enough” He shrugged. It was the truth. He wasn’t unhappy but then, he knew he could be much happier.

“That’s good, that’s very good. We should all be happy.” She slurred slightly.

He decided to fire the question back. “What about you, are you happy Ace?”

“I’m happy when you call me Ace” she smiled at him before she looked down and fiddled subconsciously with her wedding band. “I’m not happy, no” she shook her head. “My marriage is broken. Broken. B-r-o-k-k…” she started to spell it out.

“I think you’ve got one too many K's there” he teased before he turned slightly more serious. “Come on, I’m sure it’s not broken.”

Rory shook her head adamantly. “I never should have married him. I knew it, you know before we actually did it, but I married him anyway.” she hiccupped again. “and now we’re meant to be having a baby…”

Logan bristled slightly “A baby? Are you…?” He hated the thought of her pregnant. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, he hated the thought of her being pregnant with anyone other than him.

“No, I am not knocked up yet” she giggled “but that’s all my fault you know, he blames me, he knows it’s because of me.” she said as she put a finger to her lips “Ssh, don’t tell anyone, it’s my fault that I can’t get pregnant, bad Rory.” She rested her head on Logan’s shoulder.

Logan looked at Rory and was about to open his mouth to say something but Kate came over and interrupted them with a drink for her friend.

“Rory” Kate shrieked “It’s Pornstar Martini time”.

“Yay, my favorite.” She said sitting up and taking the drink off her friend before quickly knocking back the Prosecco shot that accompanied it.

\-----

The next morning Rory woke up with an absolutely banging head. She opened her eyes slowly and to her surprise, she realized that she was not actually in her own apartment.

“Ugh,” she said as she moved her head off the pillow.

“Morning sunshine!”

“Kate, how is it possible that you are this perky” Rory said as she pulled the quilt over her head.

“Because I didn’t sink as much tequila as you” she winked. “You were really going for it last night!”

“Why am I even here? James is going to have the biggest freak out that I didn’t come home last night.” Rory groaned. She knew that James was going to make her pay for not going home. “He’s already being weird, he’ll probably accuse me of…” she looked at Kate knowingly.

“Oh, he’ll just have to get over himself. The only reason you are here is that you couldn’t find your keys and he wasn’t home so I brought you back with me. What was I meant to do, leave you on the doorstep?”

“Thanks. Oh God, look at the time, we’ve got to get to work. Can I borrow a dress?” Rory said, not willing to do the walk of shame in the same clothes she wore yesterday, even if she had only stayed at Kate’s apartment.

After a quick shower and change of clothes, they both headed to the office. While she was showering and attempting to rinse away her hangover, small bits and pieces of her conversation with Logan had started to come flooding back to her and she was mortified that she had spilled her guts like that to him. She didn’t even know where most of it had come from. They weren’t even thoughts that she had verbalized to herself. Rory knew she’d have to go and speak to him about it. When she got there she went straight to his floor and knocked on the door of his office.

“Logan, erm, can I talk to you for a moment? Can I sit?’’ Rory’s legs were still a bit wobbly so she sat down on the sofa.

“Sure. How’s the head? Hungover?” he smirked. Logan had seen Rory with enough hangovers to recognize when she was trying to push through and brave it. He poured her a glass of water and handed it to her.

“A little. Don’t tell my boss” she smiled as she took the glass.

“It’s our secret” he winked.

“Look, this is a bit awkward, but I just wanted to say sorry to you,” Rory said as she looked up at Logan.

“For what?” he asked.

“Last night, I was out of line. In fact, I was so far out of line, the line didn’t even exist anymore. I should never ever have said any of that stuff, it was too personal and I shouldn’t have gone there” she blurted. “I’d had a bit of a fight with James and I was upset. Not too mention there was a LOT of tequila involved.”

“Yeah, I noticed that” he smiled. Logan hated seeing Rory like that, so upset about something that she felt the only thing she could do was drink through it, but he was never going to judge her for it. He’d been in that position many times himself, more than he’d care to remember, but this was his Ace, he didn’t want to see her hurting.

“I shouldn’t have acted that way, it put you in an awkward position, I’m sure.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Logan moved to sit down next to her on the sofa. “Are you really trying to have a baby?”

Rory grimaced “God, I forgot I told you that. Yeah, well that’s the plan but…” she paused as she contemplated what she was going to say next. “…nothing has happened yet. I think James was expecting it would happen overnight so he got a bit impatient and took it out on me a little and now we’re not even having sex so I’m not sure how that is meant to help”. Rory gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth. “Oh my God,” she said embarrassed. “I can’t believe I just said that to you, it’s like I have word vomit or something. God, I am mortified. I blame the hangover.”

“You know you can always talk to me,” Logan said as his eyes met her.

“Thanks, Logan, but I really can’t. It was totally inappropriate of me and it won’t happen again” she said as she stood up and started to open the door.

“Rory, can I just ask you one thing about last night?”

“I guess,” Rory said nervously as she wondered what else she might have said to Logan last night.

“You said that you should never have married him – why is that?”

“Logan…” Rory said as she looked down at the floor.

“Tell me, I want to know” he pleaded.

“Because I think I only married James so I could finally move on from you,” she said before she quickly left the room and closed the door behind her.

 

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has left a comment and voted so far. Always appreciated. I love hearing your thoughts on the story so please do keep giving you feedback. I hope you are enjoying the story - things are going to get a bit messy. Yikes.


	6. Used To Be Mine

Rory sat across in complete silence from her husband. They had decided to go out for an early dinner before he had to go on stage and Rory, as the dutiful wife, was going along to watch his new show for the first time that night. Recently it had felt like they had been living separate lives. James hadn’t asked her where she had stayed the night she went back to Kate’s house, and she was surprised. She had felt sure she would have been given the Spanish acquisition on her return but he asked nothing, so she had offered up the information, as she had nothing to hide. Rory told him that she had left her keys at work and couldn’t get in to the apartment. She’d been surprised to find that he wasn’t at home but he’d apparently gone out with the cast after the show as she hadn’t wanted him to meet her. Rory looked across the table at her husband and wondered where it had all gone wrong for them. Was it all her fault? She guessed so. They’d been pretty happy until her past had caught up with her. James was so angry with her these days and she felt sad a lot of the time. This wasn’t how life was meant to be. This wasn’t how HER life was meant to be.

She knew that what she was going to say to him next was only going to make things worse but it had been on her mind for a little while and she needed to get it out.

“James, I need to talk to you,” Rory said as she put her cutlery down and looked at him across the table.

He looked up at her and waited for her to speak.

“I think that we should stop trying for a baby. Just for a little while”, she said, waiting for his reaction.

James put down his knife and fork. “Why?” he asked, his face stone cold. Rory couldn’t really tell what he was thinking.

“Things are changing at work right now, it’s not the right time for me to step out,” Rory said.

James didn’t respond and for a moment you could cut the atmosphere with a knife before James started talking again. “Why didn’t you tell me about Logan?”

Rory looked at him puzzled. “What do you mean? I don’t understand why you are bringing this up now? But I did tell you. I told you that dated.”

“Ha. No, you didn’t, you told me that you dated a bit. A bit kind of says that it was a casual thing, you know maybe once or twice but it wasn’t like that was it Rory? You didn’t tell me that you dated for almost three years and that you lived together.”

Rory closed her eyes. She knew that she should have told him the truth before now, she should have known that it would come and bite her in the behind. “How did you…”

“It doesn’t matter how I know, what matters to me is that my wife is a lying bitch,” James said through gritted teeth.

“James!” He had never spoken to her like that before and Rory was shocked. “Who told you?”

“Your mother” he snapped at her as he took a swig from his drink.

Rory cursed under her breath. Lorelai and her big mouth.

“Why did you break up?” he asked.

“What?” This was not something Rory wanted to drag up ever, it was always painful and it wasn’t going to be any more pleasant sitting across from her husband in a crowded restaurant.

“Your mom wouldn’t tell me and I want to know, I think I deserve the truth. How did it end between you two.”

Rory looked down at the table. “Logan proposed to me and I said I wasn’t ready”

“You what?! You mean it was that serious that you were almost engaged and you never told me!” he said standing up from the table.

“It didn’t seem important,” Rory said pleading with James to sit back down, people were starting to stare.

“I think I had a right to know that you were once in a serious long-term relationship with your boss.” He spat. “I have to go,” he said before he turned and left.

Rory threw her napkin on the table before she got up to leave herself. She walked outside and dialled her mom’s number.

“I can’t believe you told James all about Logan” Rory yelled down the phone at her mom. “You have caused so much grief”

“Rory, calm down,” Lorelai said on the other end of the line.

“No, I will not calm down. My husband has just walked out on me in the middle of a crowded restaurant because of this. I am pissed at you.” Rory said angrily to her mother. “It was none of your business.”

“I didn’t know I was doing anything wrong, Rory. I presumed you would have told him about Logan, seeing as he was a pretty significant part of your past. It’s the kind of thing that partners share.”

“Oh great, so you’re judging me now?”

“I’m not judging anyone, I just think you need to calm down and see that neither me or James are in the wrong here. You should have been honest. I am not taking the blame for this.”

“Thanks for the support” Rory ended the call abruptly and leaned back against the wall outside the restaurant wondering how her life had suddenly got so complicated.

Rory wasn’t sure whether she should carry on with her plans to go and see James show or not. She was pretty sure that he wouldn’t want her to be there but she decided to go anyway. She knew if he didn’t it would just be one more thing that they would fight about that week and she was exhausted from the all the fighting and passive aggressiveness.

“Good evening Ms Attwood” she was greeted by one of the theatre staff who knew her well. “Are you going up to the box?”

She nodded.

“You’ve got it all to yourself tonight” the attended smiled.

“Great thanks” Rory headed up and took her seat though her mind drifted away and she wasn’t really concentrating on most of the show until one of the actresses came on singing a haunting ballad, the words of which resonated massively with her.

It's not what I asked for  
Sometimes life just slips in through a back door  
And carves out a person and makes you believe it's all true  
And now I've got you

And you're not what I asked for  
If I'm honest, I know I would give it all back  
For a chance to start over and rewrite an ending or two  
For the girl that I knew

Who'll be reckless, just enough  
Who'll get hurt, but who learns how to toughen up  
When she's bruised and gets used by a man who can't love  
And then she'll get stuck

And be scared of the life that's inside her  
Growing stronger each day 'til it finally reminds her  
To fight just a little, to bring back the fire in her eyes  
That's been gone, but used to be mine

She's imperfect, but she tries  
She is good, but she lies  
She is hard on herself  
She is broken and won't ask for help  
She is messy, but she's kind  
She is lonely most of the time  
She is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie  
She is gone, but she used to be mine

Rory listened to the words of the song and realized that they could have been written about her and her life. The tightening in her chest and the tears that were falling out of her eyes signalled that she had to get out of there and fast. She picked up her bag and ran out of the theatre and hailed a cab.

She pulled up outside the familiar apartment block and buzzed at the door furiously.

“Hello?”

“Can you let me in?” she pleaded.

“Rory?”

“I need you” she sobbed.

The door unlocked and she ran up the stairs. When she got to the door it was already open and she fell into the open arms that were waiting for.

“Ssh, it’s okay”

“Jess, I don’t know what to do,” Rory said as she looked up at him through her tears.

Jess took her to sit in the living room and waited for her to calm down before he handed her a beer.

“Thanks. Sorry for throwing myself at you like that” she said slightly embarrassed.

“You can throw yourself at me anytime you like” he laughed.

“Jess” she playfully slapped him.

Over the years Jess and Rory had reconnected, mainly due to Luke and Lorelai’s relationship but he had moved from being a love interest to being one of Rory’s best friends, her regular confidante. He was solid and dependable and in her life whenever she needed him. Jess was always ready to listen when she needed to pour out her frustrations and when she needed advice, he was able to put things into perspective for her. She was constantly grateful for having a friend like him around her.

“What’s going on Rory? This isn’t you?”

“What me? This big hot mess?” Rory joked. “Life is totally screwed up at the moment. Jess Like in a big way.”

“Talk to me,” he said as he put his arm around her shoulder.

“Where should I start? Oh okay, firstly me and James, we aren’t talking right now, I’m fighting with my mom and Logan is back in my life”

“Hold up – Logan is back?” Jess raised an eyebrow.

Rory nodded and took a swig of her beer “He’s now my boss, isn’t that one of life’s little hilarious jokes.”

“Wow. I think you’re going to need to start at the beginning”

“I guess it all starts with Logan.” She sighed.

“Doesn’t it always?” he winked.

Jess listened while Rory explained that Logan’s company had now bought the newspaper where she worked effectively making him her boss. She admitted that she hadn’t been entirely truthful about her past relationship with Logan when put on the spot about it by James and she told him the reason her and Lorelai were arguing was that she had filled James in on just how serious her relationship with Logan had once been.

“Well, I gotta say…” Jess started before Rory interrupted him.

“Do NOT tell me I wrong!” Rory exclaimed.

“But…”

“I know, I know, I’ve made a big old mess” Rory rolled her eyes.

“So you and James have fallen out because you didn’t tell him the truth about Logan?”

“Partly, but there’s a bit more to it than that. James wanted to start trying for a baby…I was reluctant, I don’t know why I said yes but he’s been so persistent about it and now because it hasn’t happened he seems to be angry about it all, he is blaming me. I…” Rory stopped. “He’s been a bit weird about things since Logan came on to the scene, there’s part of me that thinks he is only pursuing this because he feels threatened.”

Jess looked at Rory. “You really believe that?”

“I don’t know, I kind of hoped that wasn’t why he was behaving like this but tonight at dinner I told him I wanted to stop trying and he freaked out and it turned into a big thing about how I had lied about my relationship with Logan”

“Which you did” Jess nodded.

“Thanks, Jess, so helpful”

“Just keeping it real.” He smiled “So what is with the big panic attack.”

“I went to one of James’s shows afterwards and one of the songs just set me off, it was silly really, but…this isn’t how I pictured my life, you know. I love James but he’s not what I wanted.” She said quietly. “I’ve turned into a different person – I used to be so much more fun and I took risks, I was reckless when I was with…him.”

“Rory…are you sure you’re not just looking back with rose-tinted glasses? Logan walking back into your life after all these years, sure I can see that’s a curveball but don’t turn your entire life upside down because of it.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right Jess. It’s just me freaking out about everything. I’ll straighten it all out with James and mom tomorrow. Can I crash here?” Rory suddenly felt exhausted.

“Of course. You take the bed, I’ll take the couch.”

\------

The next day as Rory took a slow walk back to the apartment she shared with James, she resolved to deal with their issues and put everything right. She wanted to try and get their marriage back on the right track, but when she got back home, all that resolve went out of the window when she came home to angry James.

“Decided to come home then?“

“Oh James, do we have to get into this now?” Rory pushed her hand through her hair.

“Where have you been?” James questioned.

“With Jess. I had a fight with my mom and needed to talk to someone” She shrugged.

“You could talk to me”

“Ha” Rory scoffed “Maybe once upon a time I could have, but we don’t talk James, we yell and shout, and mumble passive-aggressive comments at each other.”

“And why is that Rory? Oh, maybe it’s because I found out that my wife had lied to me about her past relationship with her boss and I don’t know, oh the fact that she’s suddenly decided that she doesn’t want to have a baby? I just don’t understand you, Rory. I feel like I don’t know you anymore.” James said.

“Maybe you don’t” she replied as she sat by the window of the apartment and looked out “Maybe you never really knew me in the first place.”

James looked at his sad wife and rubbed his hand on his face. This wasn’t how he wanted things to be between them. He had loved Rory more than anything when they got married but as much as he was trying to hang on it felt like she was slipping away from him.

“Look,” he said as he walked over to her “I have to go to the theater today but we’ll talk more later okay. I love you” he said as he kissed the top of her head.

“Okay, I’ll see you later,” Rory said without looking up.

A/N: Song lyrics are "She Used To Be Mine" from the Broadway musical "Waitress" Listen to it - it's beautiful x


	7. Dangerous Liaisons

After they had both had some time to cool down, James and Rory managed to talk a little and even found a bit of middle ground, with James agreeing to put their baby plans on hold until things had settled down for her at work. Rory could tell that he wasn’t really happy about it but she was thankful that the subject was off the table for the time being. She still wasn’t entirely comfortable with the state of their relationship but she felt she needed to give it her all and try and fix what she could.

Logan had been surprised by Rory’s honest admission about why she had agreed to marry James but it also completely tore him up inside. She was the love of his life and she had married someone else to get over him. She was meant to be HIS wife. She should be Rory Huntzberger, not Rory Attwood – a name he hated using. He felt a little sad when he realized that was probably never going to happen for them. It was too late.

\------

The last place that Logan wanted to find himself at 7 am on a Monday morning was sitting in an office with Mitchum, but that day that was exactly the position he found himself in, whether he liked it or not. His father had called him in to talk about a trip that he wanted him to take that week to the offices of the Chicago Sun Times. Logan was to demonstrate to some of their key staff, the digitization project that they had recently undertaken there.

“So you’ll need to leave tomorrow. I want you to take a couple of the key team along.” Mitchum said, “Take Mike, Nick and Rory.”

“Rory?” Logan’s head snapped up.

“Sure. She’s doing some great work in features and she’s pretty integral to the team. I think it would be good for her to go and see what’s been happening over there.” Mitchum said calmly.

“I don’t think that it’s a very good idea”

“Why? Something going on there?” Mitchum looked at Logan accusingly.

“No!” he exclaimed.

Mitchum smiled “Well then there shouldn’t be a problem, should there.”

Logan knew that there was little point arguing with this father, he still called the shots at the end of the day and to protest any more would just make it look like there he was trying to cover something up. He would just have to speak to Rory to make sure she was okay with it and let her know that it wasn’t in any way his doing.

He stuck his head out of his office door “Celia, could you please ask Rory Attwood to come and see me.”

“Of course Mr Huntzberger” Celia said with a smile.

A little while later Rory arrived at Logan’s door. “You wanted to see me?” She was a little bit nervous, she hadn’t really spoken to Logan since she had told him the real reason she married her husband. It wasn’t that she was avoiding him, just that it had been the weekend and while they were becoming friends, they certainly weren’t the type of friends that communicated outside of the office.

“Yeah,” Logan said as he rubbed his head and sighed. “Why don’t you come in and take a seat.”

“O..kay,” she said as she sat down. “Why does it feel like I am about to lose my job?”

“Oh god, no it’s nothing like that, it’s just…well Mitchum came to see me this morning and I have to go to the Chicago Sun Times for a few days tomorrow and he’s insisted that you as one of our best editors come too.”

“Oh!” Rory said in surprise. “Okay…”

“You’re okay about this?” Logan asked.

“Well I’ve got to be honest, I’m a little relieved, I thought I was going to be packing all my belongings into a box this afternoon" she smiled. "I thought it was going to be way worse!"

“Worse than being forced to spend three days and nights with your ex-boyfriend?”

“Well I presume we’ll have our own hotel rooms,” she said with a laugh.

“Of course.” He smiled. “I want you to know though, this wasn’t my doing, it all came from Mitchum.”

“It’s fine Logan,” she said standing up. “It will be nice to get an insight into another paper, and I could do with some time away from…everything.”

“Okay, great. I’ll get Celia to send you across the itinerary when I’ve got it sorted. We’ll travel together on the company jet so you don’t need to worry about any of that.” Logan said as he opened the door for her.

\-----

As Rory unlocked the door to her apartment, she took a big deep breath to prepare herself for the scene that was about to play out, although she knew that a sharp intake of oxygen wasn't going to make this go any better. Telling James about the work trip was not going to go down well at all. When she walked in, he was sitting watching TV but he turned it off and looked at her as she came into the room.

“Hey, Rory. I’m glad you’re home early, I’ve got tickets tonight to the preview of a new show that I thought you’d like” he said as she put her laptop bag down on the floor.

Rory bit her lip. “That would have been nice” she smiled “But I’m sorry, I can’t go out tonight.”

“Why not?” James asked disappointedly.

“I’ve got a few things to finish up for work and I need to pack as tomorrow I am going away with work for a few days. I’ve got an early start.”

“You’re going away?” he questioned.

“Yeah to Chicago, I’ll be back Friday,” Rory said as she casually flicked through the unopened mail on the table.

“Who is going?”

“Mike, Nick and Logan,” she said without looking up at him.

“No way,” James said quickly.

Rory turned her head to look at him. “I’m sorry?”

“No way” he repeated.

“What do you mean no way?” Rory couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“I’m not going to stand by and let you go away on some cosy work trip with your ex,” James said as he paced the room.

Rory sighed “It’s for work, I have no choice! It came from the CEO.”

“You really expect me to believe that?!” James said incredulously.

“Yes! Because it’s the truth!”

James turned away and laughed. “What do you know about the truth?”

“Oh grow up James. You know what? You are completely entitled to think what you think but you cannot stop me from going, I am not your property.” She said as she walked into the bedroom to start packing her bags for the trip.

They didn’t talk again that night, nor the next morning, not until Rory dragged her suitcase into the hallway as she was getting ready to leave.

“So you’re actually going then?” James said.

“You know I am” Rory shrugged. "It's my job and it's important."

James grabbed his keys and walked to the front door.

“James, don’t leave it like this, please” Rory pleaded but he ignored her and opened the door. She closed her eyes and sighed as the door slammed behind him.

\-----

Rory called a cab to take her to the airport. She’d been so angry with James last night but now all she felt was utter sadness. Where they had once loved each other, all they seemed to be doing now was constantly hurting each other and she knew that she was mainly to blame for that.

She met Logan at the airport. “Mike and Nick are already on the jet. Everything okay?” he asked. He could see that her blue eyes didn’t have the same sparkle that they usually had.

“Yes, everything is fine,” Rory said. She followed Logan and took her seat on the jet. She didn’t really say much to the rest of the guys, instead choosing to put her headphones in and lose herself in music for the short duration of the flight. Once they landed they went to the hotel to check in and she’d just unpacked her bag when there was a knock at the door. She opened it to find Logan outside.

“I’m just going down to the bar for a drink, you coming?” he asked.

Rory knew that she probably shouldn’t. If James found out she’d gone out for a drink with Logan her life wouldn’t be worth living but then she knew there was probably no way he would find out unless he was having her followed - which was a bit on the extreme side and very unlike James. Besides, it was totally innocent. She could either sit in her room and be miserable about everything that was going wrong in her life or she could go out for a little while, enjoy herself and forget about her problems as much as possible. She chose the latter.

Logan and Rory sat in the hotel bar. At first, the conversation had been a little stilted but by the fourth martini they were both warming up and feeling more relaxed. Rory was definitely verging on the wrong side of tipsy.

“I never hear you talk about your girlfriend, what was her name… Natalie?” she said taking the olive out of her drink and popping into her mouth.

“That’s because she’s not my girlfriend,” Logan said as he took a swig of his scotch.

“She introduced herself as your girlfriend,” Rory said knowingly.

Logan shook his head. “But she’s not”

“You didn’t correct her” she raised an eyebrow.

“She’s my mom’s idea of a girlfriend, we’ve just been out a few times that’s all. She’s a nice girl, but it’s never going to be anything more than...what it is” he said, not really wanting to spell it out to Rory that it had just been about companionship and sex. He was pretty sure she was able to read between the lines on her own.

“Ah slutty college Logan is back” Rory joked as she sipped her martini and he rolled his eyes at her. “I do miss college Logan,” she said pretending to be all doe-eyed. “Tell me, has a new line formed for the one and only Logan Huntzberger?” she asked him with a giggle. She knew that she should not be flirting with him yet she couldn't help herself. "I am married, what the hell am I doing?" she thought.

“You know that line was a complete myth, and anyhow that’s quite enough of that,” Logan said.

“Well that’s not fair, you know so much about my wonderful marriage,” Rory said with just a hint of sarcasm.

“Things not improved there Ace?” he looked at her with concern as he picked up on her tone.

Rory shook her head.

“What about the baby thing?” he wasn’t really sure why he was asking as it was the last thing he wanted to know about.

“That’s not going to happen for us and we’ve stopped trying now anyhow,” she said.

“You don’t know that, I mean there’s lots they can do to help…” Logan started to say before Rory interrupted him.

“No, I mean it can’t happen” She shifted uncomfortably in her seat “’I went on the pill and he doesn’t know” she added quietly.

“Really?! I thought it was what you wanted.” Logan felt slightly relieved to hear what she was saying, even though he knew it was none of his business what his married ex-girlfriend was planning for her future.

“No it was what he wanted and I just agreed to keep him happy because it felt like he really needed it for some reason. I am so not ready for that though” Rory finished her drink. She knew that she would never be ready for it with James. “One more for the road?” she asked Logan as she beckoned over the bartender.

The fifth martini seemed to be the one that tipped Rory right over the edge and Logan helped a giggling Rory back to her room. They got out of the elevator and Rory slipped her arm through Logan’s to support herself as they walked down the empty hallway. With one hand holding hers to keep her balanced, Logan unlocked the hotel room door for her and handed her back the keys. "I'd better let you get some sleep..."

"You could come in for another drink if you like? I’ve got a fully-stocked mini bar and I have it on good authority that my employer will be footing the bill.“ she laughed.

“I think we’ve both probably had enough and as much as I would love to tuck you into bed when you pass out in a martini-induced haze, I am going to call it a night, I think it’s probably safer that way,” Logan said.

“Safer?” she said as she leaned back against the door and gripped the door handle behind her back tightly. “Am I dangerous?”

“Right now? I think so, yes” he sighed.

“Spoilsport. Okay, well goodnight Logan”

“Night, Rory,” he said as he walked back towards his own room.

“Logan” she called after him and he turned around to look at her. “You know, I really missed you,” she said before she disappeared into her room and closed the door behind her.

She lay down on the bed and tried to make sense of her feelings but all the alcohol in her system was messing with her head. She wasn’t really sure what she was feeling, only that it was wrong. If he had come in for a drink, she wondered if she would have had the strength to stop anything from happening between them. Logan was right, it was far safer not to. She wished she could be on of those people that threw caution to the wind but the problem was she knew that the attraction she felt between her and Logan was more than physical and once they started something up, there would be no way of stopping it.


	8. Lights Out

The next morning Rory headed down to breakfast in the hotel restaurant where the other members of the team were waiting for her. As she approached the table, her eyes met Logan’s and she smiled at him as she sat down at the table, determined there would be no weirdness after their drunken night before even though she felt a little bit self-conscious.

“We’re just about to order – what will it be?” Mike asked her as he passed her a menu.

“Oh, I’ll just have some pancakes, eggs and sausage. Oh and some bacon. Where’s the coffee?” Rory asked as she looked around for the waitress.

Logan chuckled to himself. Some things would never change. Rory had always been the queen of hangover breakfasts; she had the constitution of an ox.

“You’re really going to eat all that?” Nick asked incredulously.

“Ah you’ve seen nothing, I happen to know that Rory could pack double that amount away when we were at college. Especially with a hangover.”

“I don’t know how you could eat all that with a hangover,” Mike said, “My stomach wouldn’t take it.”

“Amateur” Rory laughed “A proper hangover breakfast would include a beef burrito and a handful of tacos but I doubt they offer that here…”

After breakfast, they headed to the Chicago Sun Times where they received a warm welcome. As it turned out, Logan and Rory didn’t actually see a lot of each other of the following days as she spent most of her time in the office going over things with the features editor for the newspaper, while Logan was busy working at board level. When the guys said they were going out later that night Rory politely declined to join them and on the final night, she excused herself by saying she was feeling a little tired and was going to have an early night. She didn’t want to seem like she was being boring or anti-social but she was beginning to not trust herself around Logan and thought it better, or safer as Logan had said, to avoid putting herself in that position at the moment.

The group left early on the Friday morning to head back to New York on the jet and Rory sat around talking with the other guys.

“So, you two have known each other for quite a long time I’ve heard?” Nick asked.

Rory paused wondering exactly what Nick had heard and who he had heard it from. “Yeah, I guess for about eight years now, we were at Yale at the same time, we both worked on the newspaper there.”

“The first day I met Rory she called me Judi Dench.” Logan laughed.

“Ouch” laughed Mike.

“That isn’t quite true Logan, I think you’re remembering it wrong. The first day we met was by the coffee cart when you insulted my friend.” Rory smiled.

“Ah, Marty. Poor Marty, he was into you so bad and you shoved him straight into the friend-zone”.

Rory rolled her eyes at Logan.

“Anyhow Judi wasn’t the worst name she gave me. I seem to recall the words ‘buttfaced miscreant’ being thrown around at one point.”

“Now there’s a term you don’t hear every day” Nick laughed.

“It was well deserved,” Rory said as she pouted at Logan “and don’t forget I think I said you were also arrogant and inconsiderate” she added before turning to Nick and Mike. “Logan and his friends totally ruined a whole class for me with some crazy skit where they declared their love for me in front of everyone including the professor.”

“What can I say, you were very loveable” he winked and Rory felt a blush creep up her body.

Mike and Nick exchanged a glance, both of them thinking that there was definitely more to these two than they had originally thought.

When they landed back in New York Rory headed straight home to drop off her suitcase before going into the office. She opened the apartment door fully expecting James to be there but there was no sign of him anywhere. Rory sank down onto the sofa. At some point, they were going to have to deal with the issues between them although right now she was still a little unsure of what those issues actually were. Things had just got weird between them and it felt like they were just wading through mud, not getting anywhere at all. James would blame Logan’s reappearance of course and the fact that she had lied to him but Rory couldn’t help think that their problems ran deeper than that.

Meanwhile, Logan had also gone back to his apartment to have a shower. He stood there as the water ran over his body and his mind turned to Rory. He had kind of felt like she had been avoiding him for part of the trip, although she had been friendly enough on the flight back to New York. He was still reeling a little from her admission that she had missed him – he’d missed her too, every day but he hadn’t expected to her have felt the same. All the signs had pointed to the fact that she had moved on. He had seen numerous photos of her in the papers with her husband and he’d studied them carefully, looking for any sign that she was unhappy, but he never saw it, she always looked happy and he had presumed that she had completely moved on to a new life. After hearing her say those words, Logan didn’t know where he’d found the strength in himself to walk away from her that night after she had asked him if he wanted a drink in her room but he knew that if he had turned back to her, it would have only ended one way.

\-------

Rory sat in her office with the door closed. She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. She was feeling pretty tired after the last few days of work and travel and her mind really wasn’t on the job today at all. She sat staring out of the window, her thoughts drifting off to Logan as they so often did these days when she was alone. All the talk on the jet of their college days had stirred up some memories and mixed emotions inside of her.

If I could, I'd also like to say a few words about my girlfriend of the past three years. You amaze me, Rory Gilmore, every day - everything that you do, everything that you are.This past year, I realized that I don't know a lot more than I thought I knew if that makes sense. I'm a little bit nervous. I didn't think I would be. What I'm trying to say is that I don't know a lot. But I know that I love you and I want to be with you forever. Rory Gilmore...will you marry me?

Rory had replayed that scene over and over in her head so many times over the past few years. When Logan had proposed to her back at her graduation party, it had come completely out of the blue. She hadn’t been expecting it at all. Of course, she’d thought maybe one day in the future that marriage was something that could possibly happen for them but she had never dreamed that Logan, with his playboy reputation, would be the one so desperate to settle down. 

When they had first started dating, it had seemed unlikely that they would have made it at all – given their ‘no-strings’ arrangement and then they’d had to overcome many obstacles during their three years, it certainly hadn’t all been a bed of roses. But she had loved him, despite everything that had happened between them during that time, she had really loved him in a way that she had never loved anyone else.

So you’re saying in the past three years, you never thought about marrying me?

No, of course, I have.

And?

And it’s always a really wonderful thought, but it was always hypothetical and…

I know. For me, too. But then it hit me -- why wait? Remember when we were in the life and death brigade and we stood on top of that tower, and we held hands and we jumped? Let’s do that again, Rory. Let’s jump.

Rory didn’t have many regrets in life but in the months that had followed, she had massively regretted turning down Logan. She kicked herself daily, knowing that she should have jumped when he asked her to - but she didn’t because she was scared.

Looking back now she wondered what she was scared of. Logan was right, he had asked her to jump with him at the Life and Death Brigade and she had been terrified, but he held her hand and everything had been okay. More than okay in fact. It was a huge exhilarating rush. She knew deep down that Logan would have done the same again if she had chosen to jump. He would have held her hand and he would have been there by her side always.

It would have all been okay, she knew that now, but instead she bolted and that led her to where she was today – yearning for a life that she didn’t have and a man that wasn’t her husband.

Come on, you look like you need a little adventure.

What does that mean?

You’re just a little sheltered.

Why? Because I haven’t spent time in a Nazi prison, been stomped on by hooligans and beat up by Hell’s Angels? And Plimpton got banged up pretty good too.

It’ll be fun, it’ll be a thrill. Something stupid, something bad for you. Just something different. Isn’t this the point of being young? It’s your choice, Ace. People can live a hundred years without really living for a minute. You climb up here with me, it’s one less minute you haven’t lived.

Let’s go.

Jumping that day with Logan had been one of the most memorable days of her life. He had pulled her out of her comfort zone and made her feel completely fearless, just for a few moments. “Whatever happened to Rory Gilmore,” she thought. Somewhere along the way, Rory Gilmore had turned into Rory Attwood and now she didn’t think she recognized that person anymore, which made her feel really sad.

\------

Later that evening as Logan was leaving work for the day, he stopped by Rory’s office on the off chance that she was still there. He stood by the door watching her quietly for a moment, she had no idea he was stood there, her head buried in something she was reading. He always loved how she looked when she was concentrating.

“Still burning the midnight oil Ace?” he smirked.

She looked up suddenly, surprised to see him and smiled “Someone has to, I heard it said that the boss is a real slave driver”

“I heard that too but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, plus underneath it all, I think he’s probably a pretty decent guy” he winked “Come on, it’s Friday night, it’s been a long week, let's get out of here. A few of us are going to a bar for a couple of drinks, it will be fun.”

Rory paused for a moment. She knew she should really go home and see if James was there. She had been trying to get in touch with him all day but he wasn’t answering his phone and had clearly decided to punish her for going on the trip when he had told her not to. She was fed up of walking on eggshells and figured if she went home she would either be walking into another fight with her husband or he wouldn’t be there at all and she’d find herself sitting in alone on a Friday night. Remembering her earlier daydream she decided it was time to leave Rory Attwood behind for a night and bring Rory Gilmore out to play.

“Okay, why not” she shrugged as she picked up her bag and turned off her desk light. 

\----


	9. Tangled

Rory followed Logan to the bar where their colleagues had already gathered for after work drinks. She was relieved to see that Kate was there so she went straight over to talk to her.

“Hey, Rory! How was Chicago?” Kate said with a wink.

“Chicago was fine.” Rory smiled.

“Just fine?”

“It was work, what more do you want me to say?” Rory asked questioningly.

“Just wondered how it was being cooped up with our illustrious leader for three days that’s all…” Kate teased.

“We didn’t really see a lot of each other” Rory shrugged and looked over to where Logan was currently standing with his back to her. “Come on I need a drink,” she said as she dragged Kate over to the bar and ordered them some cocktails. As soon as the first margarita arrived she knocked it straight back.

“Whoa girl!” 

“Sorry, it’s just been one of those weeks. I’ll have another please” Rory said to the bartender.

Kate looked at her. “I thought you said Chicago was okay?”

“Oh, it was but James is being a total ass.”

“Surprise surprise” Kate rolled her eyes. She’d never been overly fond of Rory’s husband. He’d always struck her as being a little too overbearing and Rory acted so differently when he was around. “What’s his beef?”

“What do you think? He had a total freak out this week about me going on that trip with Logan and now he is completely AWOL, but if he thinks I’m going to sit around and wait for him to show up, he’s got another thing coming.” Rory ranted.

“I’ll drink to that” Kate said as she clinked her glass against Rory’s.

As it the night got later, most of their colleagues had drifted away and gone home but Kate and Rory, by now a few margaritas down, wanted to stay and hit the dance floor. Rory thought about how good it felt to completely lose herself in the music for once and just shake it all off.

Logan watched her discretely from the other side of the room. She looked beautiful, and happy and relaxed. She’d seemed so tense recently and he knew from what she had said that things were far from perfect for her at home. As the music changed to a slower track, he decided to seize the moment and headed over towards her.

“Care to dance?” he asked Rory holding out his hand to her.

“Oh..I..I’m not…” she stumbled over her words but she felt a little nudge in her back from her friend. She looked over her shoulder and shot Kate a look.

“It’s just a dance” Kate whispered back to her.

“She’s right Ace, it’s just a dance,” Logan said with a smile as she took his hand and he led her back onto the dancefloor.

Before too long Rory found herself pressed right up against Logan. His arm was hooked around her neck, and hers was wrapped around his back, her head resting against his shoulder. All kinds of crazy thoughts were running through her head. It was almost 1:00 am and here she was, slow dancing with her ex-boyfriend, trying hard to keep her focus, but damn he smelled so good, it was so distracting. She breathed deeply trying to retain her composure.

Logan thought about how good it felt to be finally holding Rory like that again, how amazing it felt to have her body so close to his. He knew that he shouldn’t be thinking like that, she belonged to someone else.

Stay tonight  
Don't come morning, don't come light  
They may be lies, say it, say that we'll be alright  
If we stay tonight  
My hands are shaking  
This is a complicated love with me  
Keep your eyes closed, I've seen it baby  
I've seen where this goes

 

As they moved in time to the music, Rory was sure that she could felt something shift between them. She lifted her head to look at him and their eyes met, it kind of felt like they were speaking some sort of secret language. Logan touched her face gently and she held her breath as their faces moved closer to each other. Before she could snap herself out of it, her eyes dropped to his lips as he closed the distance between them. She closed her eyes in anticipation and before she knew what was happening Logan’s lips were moving gently on hers and she felt herself returning the kiss. 

After a minute or so, suddenly Rory came back to earth and she pulled away. “Oh my god, I’m sorry Logan,” she said putting her hand over her mouth. “I’ve got to go” she ran off the dance floor and grabbed her bag from next to Kate before heading out of the bar. Kate had seen everything and got up quickly from her seat to follow however Logan stopped her and said he’d take care of it so she let him go after her.

Logan stepped outside into the street and found Rory about to get into a cab that had just pulled up. “Rory, wait” he called to her.

“I can’t, I’m sorry,” she said as she climbed into the cab.

Logan hesitated for a moment but before he could think about it too much, he jumped in next to her before she closed the door. Something had happened between them tonight when they were dancing and there was no way he was going to lose that momentum. 

“What are you doing!” Rory looked at him.

“We’re not done, we need to talk,” Logan said as he gave the cab driver directions to his apartment.

Rory looked at Logan before turning to look out of the window nervously. She knew as well as he did that if she went home with him there wasn’t going to be much talking involved.

They didn’t speak in the cab or even on the way up to his swanky penthouse apartment. Logan opened the door and let Rory enter first. She looked around at the plush apartment. In many ways, it reminded her of the apartment that they had shared at Yale. She walked over to the full-length windows which had an amazing view over the city.

“Nice place,” she said without turning around. “So, you wanted to talk?”

Logan walked over and stood behind her. “Do YOU want to talk”?”

She leaned back towards him. They were so close to each but not quite touching. She could feel him breathing. “No,” she said quietly.

Logan reached for her and wrapped his arm around her waist. She leaned all the way back into him, pushing hard. A moan escaped from her as he bent down and inhaled deeply on her neck. Her mouth opened and she breathed out, pushing back into him even harder, reaching her hand around to pull him closer as he gently feathered kisses on her neck.

At this point, Rory was completely lost. Any thoughts or consideration of the consequences of their actions were gone in the blink of an eye. 

Logan turned her around and kissed her hard, it was heated and intense. She stood on her toes, reached her hands behind his neck and ran her fingers through his hair.

"No matter what happens, no regrets." He said as looked into the piercing blue eyes that had always been his downfall. 

Rory bit her lip nervously. The thought that this might not be the greatest idea in the world was pretty clear in her mind, but she also knew that she didn’t want to back out of what was about to happen. “No regrets," 

He ran his hands up the side of her waist. "I want you," he breathed into her ear.

"Then have me," she said as she looked into his eyes.

The tension and sexual frustration that they had both felt recently had finally reached fever pitch. Logan lifted Rory up and sat her on the kitchen counter behind them. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he pulled her body closer to him as their tongues duelled passionately. After a few minutes, they broke apart to catch their breath and Logan pulled Rory off the counter and slowly led her towards the bedroom, kissing and shedding some of their clothes on the way.

Logan sat down on the edge of the bed and Rory, now just in her skirt and bra, moved to straddle his lap. His hands slid up the bare skin on her thighs and under her skirt. They kissed each other softly and sensually. Rory began grinding against him, moving her hips under his hands. As she moved she could feel his arousal and she moaned against his lips. Logan responded, trailing kisses across her exposed collar bone and neck. For a couple of moments, nothing else existed and they easily lost themselves to each other. 

They lay back on the bed to get more comfortable. “God, you’re beautiful” Logan murmured, as he moved his hands over her body. He slid one bra strap off her shoulder and peeled down one cup to expose her breast which he quickly took in his mouth making Rory moan loudly which caused him to harden even more. He moved his hand down between her legs and her hips bucked at the contact. She was more than ready and while on one hand, they both wanted to take things slowly and make the most of their time together, after all this time all she really wanted was to feel him inside her.

He paused "Are you sure about this Rory? Because we don't have to..."

Rory was anything but sure. She felt like she’d lost all sense and the ability to make rational decisions was eluding her, but she knew they had gone past the point of no return. She was nearly naked in her ex-boyfriend's bed and it was good, God was he making her feel so good. She was going to hell either way. She looked up at him as she raised her hips so that he could remove her panties, "Make love to me, Logan."

Logan felt his heart miss a beat at her words. He reached over to his bedside table and rolled on a condom before he went back to kissing her gently. Rory bit her lip and closed her eyes as she felt Logan enter her. She wrapped her legs around him and tilted her head back as he gently pushed into her deeper. Their eyes connected, both knowing what they wanted and needed from each other. 

 

The feeling of having Logan inside her made her weak. She had truly missed him and it was only now that she really just appreciated how much. Nobody else had ever been able to make her feel the way he did, their bodies just seemed to fit together so perfectly.

“Oh God, Logan... I'm going to..." she whispered but she never got to finish her sentence before she felt her orgasm rush through her. Rory arched her back as she cried out Logan’s name. The orgasm came in waves so hard that Rory was barely conscious of Logan’s own release.

“Rory," he said softly as he lay down next to her and pulled her into his arms. “That was…” Logan wasn’t sure what to say next, there were no words to describe how he was feeling.

His arms around her tightened and he pressed his lips to her temple. They lay there for a little while, tangled up together. She felt really good against him, and he didn't want to let her go, but all too soon they had to come back to reality.

“I’ve got to go, Logan,” Rory said as she pulled herself up off the bed.

“You could stay,” Logan said quietly.

“You know I can’t,” Rory said without looking at him.

Logan watched as Rory collected up her clothes. She was completely lost in thought and he could see the guilt written all over her face. He didn’t want her to go, he wanted to lie there with her and believe that this was his opportunity to get her back. He could make her happier.

Once she was dressed, Logan moved to get out of bed.

“No, it’s okay, don’t get up, I can let myself out,” she said quickly wanting to avoid any awkward goodbyes. “Bye,” she said with a small smile before she walked out of the apartment.

Rory went straight home and was relieved to find that James was already fast asleep. She stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower where she sat down on the floor underneath the water that was raining down on her, in a desperate attempt to wash off the sin and shame she was feeling. She dried herself off and climbed into bed next to her husband. 

Wide awake, sleep just wouldn’t come to her, so instead she lay there and she relived the events of the night. She still didn’t know how it had all finally happened. Rory never thought in a million years that she’d be one of ‘those’ women. The type of woman that cheated on her husband with her ex-boyfriend. One of those women that take something that is good and manage to right royally fuck it up. 

Rory looked across at James. She had betrayed her husband in the worst way possible and she felt so guilty, Even though he was only lying next to her, she’d never felt such a long way from him, the gap was huge and it was only getting wider. Rory knew that they were heading towards the end, and it was her fault. She was pretty sure that James knew it too, but neither of them really wanted to admit it quite yet.

XXXXXX

A/N: Sorry, sorry, sorry! Don’t hate me for making Rory cheat on her husband. It kind of just flowed in the story. I told you it was going to get messy!


	10. Issues

When Monday morning rolled around, Rory got up early and made sure that she was in her office long before anyone else was there. This was mainly because she didn’t want to draw too much attention to herself as she wasn’t sure she was ready to face Logan. It wasn’t that she necessarily wanted to avoid him – the time they had spent together on Friday night was every bit as good as she had thought it would have been – but that was part of the problem. It had been so good Rory couldn’t see how she was going to stop herself wanting more.

She closed the door and tried to keep her head down, busying herself with editing various news articles, avoiding everyone as much as was humanly possible without erring on the side of rude. Halfway through the morning, there was a light tap at her door and she looked up, slightly relieved to see that it was Kate leaning against the doorframe.

“So, what happened to you the other night?” Kate asked her friend.

Rory gestured at her to come in and shut the door. Kate closed the door and sat on the spare chair by Rory’s desk.

“Well?”

“I think you probably know what happened the other night unless you really want me to spell it out,” Rory said chewing her lip.

“Oh my God, really? You went home with him?” Kate gasped. She’d half-expected it but was still quite surprised to hear it from the horse’s mouth. It was very un-Rory.

Rory nodded at her. “It’s not my proudest moment, I’ll admit”

“Hey, there’s no judgement here honey,” Kate said as she put her hands up in defense.

“Well, there should be! I’m judging you for not judging me. God, how could I be so stupid? I mean, fuck, I am married Kate and I slept with my ex-boyfriend” she groaned.

“He’s also your boss” Kate added helpfully.

“Yeah, thanks for the reminder” Rory groaned.

“So what now? Have you spoken to him since?” Kate asked.

Rory shook her head “No, not yet, but I guess it’s only a matter of time. There’s nothing to say though really, it shouldn’t have happened but Logan…he just seems to stop being able to form any rational thoughts. Poor James, he doesn’t deserve to be treated like this – he’s been suspicious and accusing me of stuff for ages and now I have just gone and proven him right. I don’t know what to do. I’ve got to tell him, right?”

Kate shook her head “Actually Rory, I’m not so sure, I mean what would it achieve? He doesn’t need to know, it’s just going to hurt him.”

Rory sighed. “Maybe you’re right.” She didn’t like the idea of lying to James, again, but it if she told him about Logan it could be the end of her marriage and she didn’t really want that, did she? This was just a blip.

“And it was just a one-time thing right?” Kate asked.

Rory nodded “Absolutely” but even as she said the words she knew she was convincing no one, least of all herself.

“Then, yes just keep it to yourself.” Kate nodded. “Anyhow, enough of that, there are far more important things to be discussing right now - how was it?”

“How was what?” Rory asked.

“Don’t play innocent with me missy. Sex with the boss. Please please please tell me it was good as I would imagine because he looks like he could show a girl a good time if you know what I mean.” Kate begged for details.

“I most certainly do know what you mean and, oh, believe me, he definitely can. It was pretty incredible.” Rory smiled.

\------

Logan hadn’t seen Rory all morning and he figured that she was probably avoiding him. He had tried to call her a few times over the weekend and she hadn’t answered her phone. He knew that they had both got carried away and despite their vow to not regret anything, it was clear that at least one of them had some regrets in the light of day.

As it got to lunchtime, Rory decided to head out of the office and get a bit of fresh air but as she was leaving Logan stopped by her desk.

“Oh, hi,” she said self-consciously.

“Do you want to go grab some lunch?” Logan asked her.

“Sure,” she said picking up her bag. She inhaled deeply as she followed him out of the office to a restaurant just around the corner. They didn’t say much on the way there and when they finally took their seats opposite each other, an awkward silence fell between them. Finally, Rory decided that someone needed to speak and that it might as well be her.

“Logan…I…” Rory stumbled over her words. “The other night…it was great, I mean it was really great but I…I think it was a huge mistake,” she said looking down.

“What happened to no regrets?” Logan asked.

Rory bit her lip “I don’t regret it, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a mistake and that it shouldn’t have happened.”

Logan looked at her “You really feel like that?” he asked sadly.

“I have no choice other than to feel like that Logan. I’m married.” She said as she pointed to her wedding ring.

“But you’re not happy, you said so yourself,” Logan said pointedly.

“That’s not really any of your business,” Rory said, a little blunter than she had intended for it come out.

Logan looked at her. “You kind of made it my business Rory.”

“I really can’t do this right now, my life is just one big hot mess. My head is a complete screw-up and I need to sort that out.”

“Why,” he asked her. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” Logan asked as he reached over the put his hand on top of her.

Rory shook her head and looked away as she tried to blink away the tears that threatened to fall.

“You really want to know Logan? Because when I am with James, all I can think about is you. When my husband wants to have sex with me, I turn him down because I can’t stop myself imagining that it’s you who is making love to me and I’m scared that I’m going to call out your name instead of his. How screwed up is that? And now we, us - we’ve actually had sex, behind my husband’s back, and that makes me the type of woman that I despise. That’s not who I want to be Logan but God, you make me lose control of myself.”

Logan inhaled deeply at her words. He was surprised at her raw honesty.

“I’m sorry” Logan said.

“It’s not your fault” Rory smiled a little “You’ve always had that effect on me.”

Logan offered a little smile back in return. “So what do you want Rory? Do you just want to walk away from each other and pretend that none of this happened?”

“I think we have to,” Rory said quietly.

“You didn’t answer the question” Logan shook his head.

Rory looked at him questioningly.

“I asked you what YOU want?”

Rory didn’t answer.

“This is total crap Rory, there is something between us and I know that you feel it too,” Logan said looking her straight in the eyes.

“I’m not denying that, Logan. I know there is and but I wish I didn’t feel it or I wish it was five years ago or something. Ugh, I don’t know what I wish. I just don't want anyone to get hurt because of this, but at the same time, I know it’s inevitable that someone is going to.”

"Do you wish we’d never found each other again?" Logan held his breath hoping that she would say no.

“I have to go, Logan,” she said standing up without answering the question. “I’m really sorry,” she said as she walked away.

Logan watched her walk out of the restaurant. He knew it didn’t matter what she said, this wasn’t going to be the end for them. The pull between them was too strong and he was pretty sure she would realize that soon enough.

\------

Later that evening Rory sat with James eating the early dinner he had prepared for them before she had got home from work. He had to be on stage later that evening and the silence between them was so uncomfortable that Rory was relieved when he finally left for the theater. James barely looked her in the eye these days and she felt that like she might as well have had a big sign hanging around her neck saying “I slept with Logan”. So many times she had wanted to just admit her guilt but she couldn’t bring herself to do it, knowing that the fallout that would follow would be nothing short of catastrophic.

She had asked Jess to come around that evening as she really needed to talk to someone else about what was going on and she knew that he would listen to what she had to say regardless of whether he thought she was right or wrong. She still hadn’t smoothed things over with Lorelai, they were talking but there was no way that she could admit anything like this to her. When Jess arrived they both took a seat on the sofa in Rory’s living room.

“What’s up Rory? You wanted to talk?” Jess said as he leaned back and put his feet up on the coffee table.

“Yeah…” Rory looked around the room nervously.

Jess looked around too, wondering what Rory was looking for. “Are you expecting someone to spring out of a cupboard or something, why are you so on edge Gilmore?”

“Oh you know, checking for hidden microphones and two-way mirrors,” she said. She was only half-joking, she knew that James didn’t trust her at the moment and she also knew he had good reason not to.

Jess raised an eyebrow at her.

Rory looked at him. “Okay, I really need to tell you something but before I do, I really need you to not judge me. Promise me.”

“Pinky promise,” he said wiggling his little finger at her.

“I slept with Logan,” Rory said quickly and then covered her mouth with her hands as if she wanted to push the words right back in.

“Wow,” Jess said as he sat up. “I want to say I am shocked, I mean, I am surprised but only really that it has taken you this long”

Rory sighed "You expected this of me? What does that say about the type of person I am.”

“It doesn’t say anything about you. It’s just…you and Logan you know. Nobody was ever able to come between you guys”

“But I'm married Jess, to James, you like James remember," Rory said.

“Yeah I do, he’s a decent guy, which is why you’re going to need, to be honest with him” Jess looked at Rory who was staring back at him in horror.

“I can’t tell him, it will destroy him” She shook her head firmly.

“And you think he’s going to feel better when he eventually discovers that you’ve cheated on him?”

Rory winced.

Jess continued “What about you? Are you happy? What happened with Logan…did it mean nothing to you? Can you just walk away and carry on with your life without him?”

Rory sat and looked at Jess. “I don’t know if I can, but I think I have to try.”

“Rory you forget I remember just how miserable you were after you and Logan walked away from each other the last time. As much as I like James and I don’t think he deserves this at all, if Logan is what you really want, then this is your chance. You know as well as I do Rory that it doesn’t always pay to play by the rules. You wouldn’t be the first person to leave a marriage for someone else and you won’t be the last.”

“I…I...don’t even think that’s an option? I mean we’ve not discussed that all. I don’t a relationship with Logan is on the table at all.” Rory said to Jess. Logan had never offered anything to her or even insinuated that it could be more than just sex.

Jess sighed and looked at Rory. “I may not like him but you and Logan, you have always been the end game. You two have a connection that is rare, everyone has seen it, that’s why James has been acting up, he knows it too. If there ever was such a thing as a soul mate, and let me tell you, I’m not sure I believe in all that crap, but if it did exist, then you two would be the absolute definition of that”

Rory knew that Jess was right about Logan. The connection between Logan and Rory had been there from the start. Neither of them had ever been able to escape it.

“I just can’t believe I am in this situation. If you’d have told me six months ago that this would be my reality, I would never have believed you.” She shook her head.

“Whatever happens with Logan, whether you end up together or not, you’re not happy Rory, I know you’re not, or else this wouldn’t have happened. If you truly loved James, you would not have been tempted by Logan. Get yourself happy Rory and if that means you have to leave James, then do it, because none of this is fair on him either. He’s not going to thank you for lying to him and or even worse, sticking with him and resenting him for years because he’s not really what you want. Life is too short to be playing these games. You need to decide what you want, who you want to be with and make it happen.”

\----

 

A/N: SURPRISE! Another chapter today. Received so many lovely comments I thought I'd reward you. Enjoy x


	11. What if

The next day when Rory arrived at work, she opened her office door to discover a huge bunch of sunflowers were sitting on her desk. The beautiful yellow flowers completely stopped her in her tracks as soon as she saw them and she couldn’t help but smile. There was really only one person that they could be from, and that person wasn’t going to be her husband. James had never sent her flowers and with the current state of their relationship, she very much doubted that he was going to start now. She walked over and picked up the card that was attached to read what it said. 

Two words that have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life: What if? 

There was no name on the card but there didn’t need to be. Rory closed her eyes and clutched the card to her chest before putting it away in her desk drawer. 

XXXXXXXX

Rory arrived home later that day just as James was getting ready to go to work. He hadn’t really said a whole lot to her since she arrived home from the office and so Rory had just fixed herself and was sat flicking through the channels on the TV when she heard her cell phone beep with a message. She leaned over to reach it from where it was lying on the table and immediately saw that the message was from Logan. Rory looked over the shoulder to check that James was still in the bedroom before she opened it.

“I want to see you x”

Five simple words. That was all it was but they were five simple words that made her stomach do a flip. She paused for a moment and tapped her fingers on the screen as she wondered what she should say. She knew that what she should do is reply and tell him she couldn’t, that it was wrong but her head and her heart were pulling her in two different directions. Rory typed out a response.

“Where and when.”

She pressed send. She took a deep breath and leaned back on the sofa waiting for Logan to reply. 

“My place, whenever you’re ready x”

Rory closed down her messages and walked into the bedroom to get changed. 

“Are you going out?” James asked as Rory pulled a black dress out of her wardrobe.

“Oh, yeah,” Rory said wishing she had come up with an alibi before she had walked in there, she was never very good at being put on the spot and her hands were already trembling with nerves. “I’m going to meet Kate for a quick drink,” she said, not quite meeting his eye. Rory had never been a very good liar and she could tell by the look on James’s face that he probably knew exactly who she was going out to meet but he didn’t say a word. He just nodded in acknowledgement.

As soon as she was out of the apartment, she stopped and leaned against the wall outside. Despite everything she knew that James loved her and she knew that she was hurting him. The problem was she just couldn’t help herself, she couldn’t resist Logan, and there was such a strong magnetism between them. She hated herself for doing this to James. She felt sick to her stomach and vowed to herself that this would be the last time she lied to him.

XXXXXXXX

Rory lay in Logan’s bed wrapped in his arms. All her negative feelings had been soothed away as soon as she had reached his apartment and fallen straight into his arms.

“I should go,” she said without making any effort to get up at all.

“No don’t go yet,” Logan said as he ran his hand softly up and down her spine.

“Okay,” Rory said as she enjoyed the tingly sensation that it gave her.

“Rory? 

“Yes?” she said as she turned herself around in the bed to look at him.

Logan stared into her beautiful blue eyes. “I want us to be together”

“What?”

“You and me, I want us to be together, properly. I want us to fall in love again, we’re perfect for each other, we’ve always been perfect for each other. We’re meant to be together and you know it.”

“You know it’s not that simple,” Rory said sadly.

“It could be” Logan shrugged.

As Rory lay there listening to Logan say everything that she’d wanted to hear him say in the past few years, a sense of sadness swept over her. She could see that there was no way out of this situation that she had got herself into, not without hurting someone. She either had to walk away from her husband and break his heart or she had to walk away from Logan. 

Despite the fact that her marriage was on pretty rocky ground and had been for some time, she’d chosen to marry James and she felt like she ought to see it through, or at least attempt to. She owed him that much, didn’t she? Rory had made a vow to him and sure, she’d now broken those vows but as far as she knew, he’d never done anything to hurt her and she’d had a good life with him so far. He’d always treated her well and he loved her.

Rory knew that if she had any hope of salvaging her marriage, she needed to say goodbye to Logan for good. She just hoped she had the strength in her to do it and that he wouldn’t hate her too much for it.

“I have to go,” Rory said quietly but before she could get up Logan pulled her back to him and they made love once again, but this time it was far softer and gentler than they had been earlier. Rory closed her eyes to drink in the sensations; it was so much more than it had ever been. She didn’t want to forget this feeling, ever. She wanted to be able to hold on to this memory.

As they were both just about to find their release, Logan leaned into Rory and whispered in her ear. “This means something Rory, you know it does”. 

Rory bit her lip and a lone tear escaped from her eyes. She did know, she really did know it meant something but she felt like she had no choice. She looked up and locked eyes with him as they both reached the precipice and fell over the edge together.

“I really do have to go now” Rory smiled briefly as she got up and got dressed. 

Rory leaned in to kiss Logan as he walked her to the door of his apartment. It was a soft and tender kiss, filled with emotion and she could barely look him in the eye because it hurt too much. 

Logan pulled away from her. “Why does it feel like you are saying goodbye Rory?”

Rory swallowed but she couldn’t bring herself to speak because she knew if she opened her mouth or tried to say the words she was going to cry. She kissed him once more and turned and walked away from the man that she would always consider to be the love of her life.

XXXXXX

Even though it was some distance, Rory decided to walk home to her apartment rather than catching a cab, mainly to give herself some much needed thinking time. She sat alone in Central Park. She could still smell Logan on her skin. 

Rory what been faced with what seemed like an impossible decision and she had been sure that what she needed to do was leave Logan behind, she made that decision before she’d even got to his apartment that night. She had been positive it was the right thing to do but then they had made love for the second that time that night and she couldn’t ignore how perfect it had been and how it had made her feel. 

Now all sorts of messy thoughts were going through her head and she needed to know what it was she really wanted. Pushing Logan aside for one minute, if he was taken out of the equation altogether, did she want to save her marriage? She wasn’t sure she really knew the answer. 

She headed home and jumped straight into her car. She knew where she needed to go to try and work everything out.

A short while later, she crept into the house which was all in darkness and quietly walked up the stairs to the bedroom.

“Mom” she whispered. When there was no response she tried a little louder. “Mom” she repeated.

Lorelai opened one eye “Rory? My god, you scared me. What are you doing here? What’s the matter?”

“I need to talk to you” Rory whispered. “Can you come?” she beckoned.

“Okay, I’m getting up,” Lorelai said as she sat up and dropped her feet out of bed.

“What’s going on?” Luke mumbled without looking up.

“Ssh, it’s alright Luke go back to sleep, it’s just Rory,” she said as she threw on her robe before following her daughter downstairs where they both sat on the sofa.

“What’s going on Rory?”

Rory opened her mouth to speak but as soon as she did, she found that nothing came out. Instead, she just dissolved into tears which very quickly escalated into huge almighty sobs.

“Oh, my God Rory, what’s the matter,” Lorelai said pulling her daughter into a tight hug. 

Rory just shook her head, she couldn’t speak right now, the words wouldn’t come. 

“Ssh, oh my baby girl, it can’t be that bad. Whatever it is it can’t be that bad” Lorelai said as she kissed Rory on the top of the head. It didn’t matter how old her daughter was, she’d always be her baby girl.

“Everything is a mess,” Rory said without looking up.

Lorelai stroked Rory’s head soothingly. “I’m sure it’s not” 

“I cheated on James,” Rory said quietly.

“What?!” Lorelai exclaimed.

Rory pulled herself up straight to look at her mother. “I slept with Logan.” 

“Oh, Rory,” Lorelai said sadly, knowing that Rory’s feelings for Logan were complicated and ran deep. She knew that being in this situation would be tormenting her daughter something terrible but she also felt bad for her son-in-law, who had only ever treated Rory with love and respect.

“I don’t know what to do mom and I need you to help me”

“Oh I can’t tell you what to do Rory, you know that”

“I was all ready to say goodbye to Logan tonight, I walked away from him, it was going to be the last time…” she paused.

“So it happened more than once?”

Rory nodded a little ashamed of herself.

“Ew, hang on, you’ve had sex with him tonight? Have you showered” Lorelai looked at her daughter incredulously “You could have warned me before I got up close and personal with you.” she joked which made Rory laugh a little through her tears.

“I needed to end it with Logan to try and save my marriage. Things with James are horrible at the moment, we were meant to be trying for a baby and then he got all suspicious about me…”

“With good reason seemingly,” Lorelai said.

“Mom” Rory rolled her eyes “We’ve barely talked in weeks. And I hate myself for what I am doing to him, but it’s Logan you know.”

“I do know” Lorelai nodded “But I don’t think that’s something you could use in your defense to be fair.” 

“Do you hate me?” Rory asked “I’m a terrible person so I understand if you do”

“Of course I don’t hate you” Lorelai sighed “Rory, the only person who can straighten all this out is you. I mean is there even a decision to make? Because if there is you really need to go with your gut instinct” She said before adding “Do you love James?”

“Yes”

“What I mean is, do you love him or are you IN love with him because they are two very different things, Rory. Are you in love with him?”

“Oh. No, I’m not” Rory shook her head slowly. “But I do care about him, even though it might seem like I don’t”.

“Well, are you in love with Logan?” Lorelai asked.

“I…don't know” Rory bit her fingernail. “I think so, yes,” She said quietly.

“And then there’s the million dollar question - do you think Logan is in love with you? Because if he’s not and you throw your marriage away on a whim, what are you going to be left with Rory?”


	12. Letting Go

The next morning after a restless nights sleep, Rory walked into their apartment to find James waiting in the living room for her. She had been outside for hours, trying to work up the strength to go in and face up to what she needed to do. She knew that neither of them could continue in the way they had but she had no idea of how James was going to take the news, he could be pretty unpredictable.

Lorelai had desperately tried to make Rory realize what she would be giving up if she walked out on James, and she had made her question what might be in the future for her and Logan if there was anything at all. Rory had almost been convinced by her mom's arguments, but as she lay in the dark in her childhood bedroom she remembered that Lorelai had never really been on Logan’s side and Rory knew him better than anyone, he had asked her to be with him hadn't he? She was pretty sure that if she chose Logan, he wouldn’t walk away from her.

But this decision hadn’t purely been about Logan, although he had been a major factor in it. It had been about her and what she wanted. The more she had thought about it the more she had realized that as much as she cared for him, James was not what she wanted and though they’d had a good couple of years together, they had married much too soon and Rory knew that the sad truth was - had she not been trying to bury all thoughts of Logan at the time, she probably never would have married James in the first place.

“Where have you been?” James said as Rory walked in the door. He took in her appearance, she looked tired and like she had been crying.

“I went to Stars Hollow to see my mom,” she said as she put her bag and car keys down on the sideboard.

“You could have told me, I was worried about you.”

“Sorry, it wasn’t planned,” Rory said as she looked down at the ground. She wondered if she should make some small talk first or just get it over and done with, like ripping off a Band-Aid. In the end, she went with the latter, figuring there was no point delaying the inevitable.

“James…I think we need to talk” Rory said quietly.

James sighed and sat down on the sofa. He didn’t seem surprised by her words. “Okay”

Rory sat next to him. “James, there’s really no easy way to say this but I think that we should separate for a while.”

“What?” he looked at her in shock.

“This is not working for us, it hasn’t worked for a while. I think that we both need some space” Rory said without looking at him.

“So that was what you were doing with your mom? Discussing our martial issues before you’ve even discussed them with me? That’s real nice Rory. Who else have you been talking to about us?”

“I just needed someone to talk to.” She said resolutely. She wasn’t going to apologize for talking things over with her mother. “James, I just think that we are constantly clashing with each other, and I have some issues that I need to work out in my mind. I think that I could do this better if we were apart for a little while.”

“This is bullshit, Rory. Are you leaving me for him?” he spat.

“What? No!” Rory could feel her face as it flushed. “This isn’t about Logan” but even as she said the words, she knew that it was partly a lie. While Logan wasn’t the sole driving force behind her reason to end her marriage to James, it had definitely moved the decision along. “I’ve not been happy for a while, have you? You can’t be happy living like this James? We’re barely communicating and if we are we’re fighting. This isn’t a marriage, it’s an existence.”

James ran his hands through his hair. He’d been angry and suspicious of his wife recently but he never thought that she would actually come to him and tell him that she wanted them to get separated.

“No, I guess not so much recently, but I love you Rory. I mean, we were trying for a baby weren’t we. Why would you do that if you were working your way up to leave? I thought you wanted a family.”

Rory looked down at the floor and shook her head. “God this is a mess. Look, this is horrible for me to tell you, but we weren’t really trying. She bit her lip. She was ashamed of herself and all the lies she had told this man. Last night she had come to the decision that the kindest thing she could do was let him go.

“What is that supposed to mean?” James looked at her accusingly.

“I have been taking the pill,” Rory said quietly. “I never wanted to get pregnant”

“What?” James said as he looked at Rory. He didn’t look angry with her anymore, he just looked sad and defeated. Rory felt like her heart was breaking in two. “You never had any intention of us having a baby?”

“I’m sorry James.” There was nothing else she could say, there was nothing she could say that would make anything better. Rory stood up. “Look, I am going to go, you stay here…”

“Rory,” James said as he grabbed hold of her hand “Don’t go. I don’t really know what’s been going on, and I suspect however much you deny it that it has something to do with him in some way but let’s just try and move on from this. We can do that. I can do that for you.”

“James…” Rory said, “It’s too late.” She said as she shook her head. “I’ve tried, honestly I have but if I stay we’re just going to continue hurting each other. Look at you, you’re not happy and I feel like I am the root cause of all this, if I stay you’ll end up resenting me. Look at what I am doing to you. You deserve more than this.”

“So you’re really going to leave?” James asked her.

“We can’t just stay together and be unhappy for the rest of lives. Don’t you see that?”

James didn’t answer, he simply picked up his keys and walked out of the apartment. Rory contemplated going after him but worried it would just make things worse, she let him go and went to the bedroom to pack her overnight bags.

\--------

Rory stood outside the door to the apartment with her bags in her hand and knocked on the door. After just a few moments the door opened.

“I’m sorry for coming here, but I had nowhere else to go,” she said and the tears she had been holding on to so tightly were suddenly released full-flow.

Jess reached out and embraced her. “Ssh, it’s all going to be okay. Come on” he said as he pulled her inside.

“You’ve finally done it then?” Jess looked at Rory and she nodded. “Have you told Logan that you’ve left your husband for him?”

Rory shook her head. “I haven’t left him for Logan”

“No?” Jess raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that?”

“Well, I don’t know. Maybe I have” Rory said sinking her head into her hands. “God that’s absolutely crazy isn’t it? You hear about deluded misguided women leaving their husbands for their lovers and now I am one of them. Way to go Rory.”

“So Logan doesn’t know then?”

“No, I thought that would just complicate things and right now I need to get my head straight. Ugh. I feel absolutely dreadful.” She said.

“To be fair to him, I bet James is feeling a lot worse that you right now. How did he take it anyhow?” Jess asked.

“Well, let's see. How exactly would you take the news of your wife leaving you?” Rory raised an eyebrow at him. “It was traumatic, it was horrible. I broke his heart. I could practically see it happening in front of my eyes. I just feel mentally exhausted from the whole thing” she sighed.

“I presume that he doesn’t know everything…” Jess said, alluding to what he knew about Rory and Logan.

“I really wanted to be honest with him but…no, I didn’t see what telling him about Logan would achieve.” It’s not like we’re together…” Rory stopped as Jess interrupted her.

“…yet,” he said.

“I don’t even know if that’s actually going to happen. I mean all this drama could be too much for Logan and he might bolt so there was really no point rubbing salt into an already painful open wound. Rory leaned back on the sofa. “God Jess, how did it all come to this. I mean it started with one stupid slightly drunken kiss. It wasn’t supposed to turn into an affair that turned my entire life upside down.”

“You only slept with him once, not sure that is classed as an actual affair” Jess joked.

Rory wrinkled her nose.

“Rory…” Jess said giving her a bit of side-eye. “You slept with him more than once?”

“A little bit. What Jess! Once, twice…what does it matter? Cheating is cheating.”

“So twice then?” Jess asked.

“Technically, three…but that was it I promise!” Rory said blushing furiously.

\-------

A little later on, after Rory had fallen asleep on his sofa, Jess covered her up with a blanket and went into his bedroom to make a call.

“Hello?

“Lorelai, it’s Jess”

“Oh hi Jess, is everything okay? Oh, you sound weird. Why are you whispering? Are you in a hostage situation?” Lorelai joked.

“Ha, not quite. I just thought I ought to let you know that Rory is here with me. She’s kind of a mess.”

Lorelai held her breath. “What has happened?”

“She’s left James,” Jess said slowly. He was in two minds about how much he should be sharing with Rory’s mother.

“Oh” Lorelai sad sadly. “I guess this was to be expected. I presume you know what’s been going on with her and…?”

“Kind of,” Jess said.

“And what do you think about it all?” Lorelai said, interested in Jess’s view.

“Lorelai, it’s not really my place to say but what I will say is that Rory’s been unhappy for a while, and this is not just about Logan.”

“But he’s involved,” Lorelai said pointedly.

She wasn’t exactly thrilled by the breakdown of her Rory’s marriage, nor the fact that Logan Huntzberger, her daughters Achille’s heel played a part in it. Logan had always had the kind of effect on Rory that made her world turn upside down and after she had settled down and got married to James, Lorelai had hoped that was the end of that. However, Logan was the one Rory just couldn’t quit.

“Well, I guess, yeah he is now.” Jess shrugged.

“God, I just don’t know what it is with them two. It’s so frustrating” Lorelai exclaimed.

“I guess that they love each other” Jess said simply “Sometimes it’s just too strong to come between”.

“Yeah. I guess.” Lorelai sighed. “Thanks for calling me Jess, I appreciate you letting me know what’s going on. Look after my baby won’t you? I may not totally approve of her choices but I hate to see her hurting.”

Jess ended the call and went back out to check on Rory who had by now woken up.

“Who were you talking to?” she said sleepily as she rubbed her eyes.

“Your mom” he admitted.

Rory grimaced. “You told her huh”

Jess shrugged. “I thought it was better she knew where you were before she started sending out the packs of wild dogs to hunt you down.”

“Is she mad at me?” Rory asked.

“Nah,” he said as he pulled her in and gave her a squeeze. “She just cares about you that’s all.”

“Jess, can I stay here for a few days?”

“Of course you can. Now, are we wallowing or what? What sucky movie do you want to watch first?“

Rory smiled a thank you at Jess. The truth was there was nowhere else she wanted to be right now. Rory felt safe there with Jess, he never really judged her though wasn’t afraid of giving her a few home truths.

She knew she couldn’t go home to her apartment because of James and she really didn’t want to go back to Stars Hollow and face her mom. Rory suspected Lorelai would hit her with all the reasons why she was wrong to be doing what she was doing and she just couldn’t deal with that. 

As much as she really wanted to see him, Logan was out of the question right now. She knew that when she was around him she completely lost her mind and the ability to make sensible rational decisions seemed to disappear. What she needed right now more than anything was the time and space to regain some clarity.


	13. Doubts

Rory didn’t really feel all that ready to face the world so she decided to hide herself away with Jess for a while – besides, she still had nowhere else to go. She called the newspaper, telling them she was sick and she turned her cell phone off, not wanting to talk to anyone at all.

The truth was, she didn’t really know what she was hiding from but neither did she know what to say to anyone. She definitely didn’t want to talk to her mother and receive a lecture that was for sure. Rory knew that Logan would be wondering where she was and she felt bed for avoiding him but she was frightened that he might freak out a little if she told him she had left James. Sure he had said he wanted to be with her, but what did that mean? Perhaps he only wanted her in the way it had been so far, with Rory sneaking away to see him when she could. Maybe he didn’t want any more than that. She was annoyed at Lorelai for putting these niggling doubts in her head. Rory knew she would need to speak to him at some point but she was scared that he might reject her.

Logan hadn’t heard anything from Rory since she had left his apartment that night and he was beginning to get worried about her. He had known that she was unsettled the last time he had seen her. He had told her he wanted to be with her and he meant it. Logan knew that was going to be anything but straightforward and of course, there was the big elephant in the room - she was married, to someone else. Before she had left his apartment he had wanted to beg her to stay, beg her to walk away from her life with James but ultimately he knew that had to be her decision and not one he could pressure her into. If Rory really wanted to be with Logan she’d find a way to make it happen and if she didn’t find a way, then Logan knew that he would just have to find a way of accepting that.

He had tried calling her several times but she wasn’t answering her cell phone and now it appeared she wasn’t coming into work either. Logan stopped by Kate’s desk knowing that if there was anyone at the paper who would know anything about Rory’s sudden disappearance it would probably be her.

“Kate, can I have a word?” Logan said as he approached her desk.

Kate looked up from the proofs she was studying to see Logan standing by her. “Oh, yes, sure Mr Huntzberger.”

“Logan” he smiled “Mr Huntzberger is my dad”

“Of course” she smiled. “What can I do for you?”

“It’s personal really…I was just wondering if you might have heard from Rory over the past few days?” he tried to ask casually.

Kate shook her head. “I haven’t actually, I was kind of wondering if you had,” she said. “I’m a little worried about her, to be honest. It’s not like Rory to go completely off-grid.”

Logan knew that Kate was the only person at the paper that had any knowledge of what happened between him and Rory and as her friend, he had hoped that Rory might have been in touch with her.

“I mean…I suppose…” Kate stopped what she was saying and looked at Logan. She pursed her lips. “I guess I could call James just to see....”

Logan pushed his hand through his hair. He would have much rather avoided bringing her husband into it but he had no other way of finding her. He nodded “Yeah, why not. Can’t hurt, can it? Let me know if you hear anything, okay?”

Kate nodded and Logan walked away. She immediately pulled her cell phone out of her drawer and scrolled through the numbers, she knew she had James’s number in there somewhere. When she found it, she hesitated for a moment before she pressed the call button. James answered after a couple of rings.

“Hello?”

“James? It’s Kate…Weston from the NY Times” she said nervously.

“Oh, hi,” he said quietly. 

“Look, I’m sorry to bother you but I’ve been trying to get in contact with Rory. She’s not answering her phone. Is she there with you by any chance?” Kate asked.

“Nope” 

Kate rolled her eyes. For an actor, James wasn’t exactly using a great deal of dialogue today. “Ok, well do you happen to know where your wife is? Only she’s phoned in sick to work and I am a little worried about her.”

“I have no idea where she is Kate. I haven’t seen her for three days.” James said without a hint of emotion.

“Three days?” Kate said surprised. That really WAS very unlike Rory. Her mind wandered all over the place as she wondered where she might be.

“She’s gone, Kate. She left. I have to go okay?”

James ended the call and left Kate sitting at her desk with an open mouth. Rory had actually left James? In that case, where on earth was she? Kate sat her desk for a little while longer and wondered what she should do next. She knew that Logan would be expecting to hear from her but if she was to tell him what she knew, would that be betraying her friend in some way? She was torn but she realized she had no idea where to start looking for Rory and maybe Logan could help. She headed to the elevator and went upstairs to his office.

 

When she got there Logan’s secretary Celia greeted her with her usual fixed smile. “Hello, how can I help you?”

“Oh, uh, I just need to speak with Logan, I mean, Mr Huntzberger, quickly if I may?” Kate said gesturing towards Logan’s office.

“I’ll just check if he is busy, your name?” the secretary replied rather haughtily.

“It’s Kate, from Features,” she said trying to remain polite. She couldn’t deal with secretaries on a power trip on the best of days and right now she just wanted to speak to Logan and tell him what she had found out before she changed her mind.

Celia called through to Logan’s room and he asked Kate to come straight through.

“Have you heard anything?” he looked at her expectantly.

“I have” Kate bit her lip. “God, I’m not really sure if this is something I should be sharing with you or not. It might be inappropriate I don’t know…I really hope that Rory won’t mind me saying anything.” she said nervously. She’d never really been in this position before and Rory was one of her best friends, she didn’t want her to resent her for meddling in her private life.

“Please, if you know something…” Logan said. 

“I just spoke to James, she’s not there” Kate shook her head. “He doesn’t know where she is”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“He said Rory left him – three days ago”. Kate chewed her lip.

Logan rubbed his hand over his face. “Oh. Thanks for letting me know” he forced a smile.

“Sure,” Kate said and left to go back to her desk.

Logan sat in his office wondering what was going on. Rory had really left James? Why hadn’t she called him? He was sure that the other day Rory was trying to tell him goodbye and that she had to be with James, but now he was hearing that she had left her husband? What did this mean? More importantly, what did it mean for them?

He picked up his phone and left her yet another voicemail. He’d already left her several but he figured it didn’t hurt to leave one more. He was getting more and more frustrated not being able to speak to her. Logan just wanted to find out what was going on and now he was more driven having found out this latest development.

“Rory, when you get this message, please please call me, I really need to talk to you or if you don’t want to talk, at least let me know you are okay. Whatever has happened, I am here for you, you know I am. Don’t shut me out Ace.”

xxxx

Jess looked at Rory as she lay under a blanket on his sofa. She’d barely moved for the past three days. He watched her as she picked up her cell phone to check her messages. She listened carefully to the newest ones and he could see her face crumble a little as she played through them. 

“Rory, why don’t you just put yourself out of your misery and speak to the guy? He’s probably wondering where you are.”

She jumped a little, she hadn’t known Jess was in the room. “What?”

“Logan. Why don’t you just call him? What is it that you are so afraid of?”

“Nothing,” she said stubbornly.

“Really?” Jess asked. “Because it doesn’t look like that to me.’

Rory sighed. Jess could always see right through her “I just don’t know. What if I go to him and then discover that this isn’t what he really wanted? He probably never expected that I would actually leave James.”

“I think from what you’ve told me he’ll probably be quite happy about it,” Jess said.

“I don’t want to get hurt again, it was too painful the first time around and look at me, I’m still not over him. I wasn’t enough for Logan before, why would that be any different now.” 

“What do you mean you weren’t enough for him?” Jess said, “That’s crap Rory!”

“After he proposed…he found it pretty easy to walk away from me didn’t he? I wasn’t enough to compromise for or fight for. We could have made it work long distance for a while but after we broke up, I always kind of thought that maybe he just didn’t love me enough to want to get through the hard times. What if this is all too messy and difficult and he decides it’s not for him.”

Jess shook his head. “Rory, you don’t really believe that.” He looked over at his sad friend as she shrugged. In the past few days, she’d gone from the bright eyed and bushy tailed Rory that they all knew and loved to a broken shadow of her former herself, her confidence was at an all-time low. 

“Rory, I’ve got to go out for a while. Will you be okay here?” Jess said as he put his jacket on.

xxxxxx

 

‘I’m here to see Logan Huntzberger” Jess said to the stern woman guarding the door to Logan’s office. 

Jess had decided to take matters into his own hands. Rory had been wallowing for three days straight and enough was enough. The office of Logan Huntzberger was probably the last place anyone would expect him to show up but if Rory wasn’t going to pull herself together voluntarily, he was going to force her deal with her issues.

“Do you have an appointment?” she asked.

“No, but I need to see him,” Jess said impatiently. 

“Well I am sorry but Mr Huntzberger is busy all day today. If you could just leave your name then I can…”

“I need to see him today,” Jess said with more urgency. He rolled his eyes in frustration and wondered how anybody got anything done in places like this.

“I’m sorry Sir but that’s not possible,” Celia said.

Logan could hear raised voices outside his office and decided to step outside to see what was going on.

“Jess?” he said, surprised to see his former adversary outside his office. Jess was probably the last person he expected to see knocking on his door, especially as he hadn’t seen him in well over five years. 

Jess looked at Logan’s sectary and raised his eyebrows as if to say “See?”

“Come in,” Logan said holding his door open. “Do you want to sit?”

Jess shook his head. “I’m not going to be here long.”

“I’m going to go out and a limb and presume that you’re here about Rory. Have you spoken to her?” Logan asked.

Jess nodded “She’s staying at my apartment. Look, I know we’ve never been friends and part of me doesn’t even know what I am doing here or why I am trying to help either of you with this, but she’s a bit of a mess at the moment and I think above all else, what she really needs is to see you.”

“But she won’t answer my calls. She didn’t even tell me where she went” Logan said. “Are you sure that she wants to see me?”

“She’s not answering anyone's call man, don’t take it personally.” He said as he handed over a piece of paper.

“What’s this?” Logan said opening it up.

“My address. Do with it what you will.” Jess said throwing his hands in the air as he turned to leave. “Balls in your court.”

“Thanks” Logan shouted after him. “Celia?” he called from his office, “I need you to cancel my meetings for the rest of the day.”


	14. It's Okay

Logan stood outside the apartment door and lightly tapped. He waited for a few moments before tapping again. He didn’t really know why he felt so nervous. He had been so swept along with just going to see Rory but now he was stood outside the door to Jess’s place and reality had begun to hit. Maybe she hadn’t contacted him because she didn’t want to see him? What was he going to say to her if that was the case? Should he fight for her or just walk away? Deep down he already knew the answer to that. He’d walked away once before, he would spend the rest of his life fighting for Rory if he had to. He was still deliberating these thoughts when finally the door opened.

Rory couldn’t hide her surprise at seeing him standing there. “Logan! What are you…I mean…how did you…” she couldn’t quite manage to get all her words out. He was the last person she had expected to find on the other side of the door and she immediately felt a little self-conscious about how she looked. Cursing herself she brushed her messy hair back out of her face and pulled into a ponytail.

“Can I come in?” he asked. Logan looked at Rory. She looked tired and emotional and her eyes lacked that sparkle he so loved, but she was still the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.

“Sure” Rory opened the door wider and gestured for Logan to enter the apartment. He walked in awkwardly, not feeling entirely comfortable being in Jess’s apartment.

They both sat down next to each on the sofa. Rory looked down and fidgeted with her hands, only just realizing that she was still wearing her wedding ring.

“How did you know where I was?” she asked without looking up.

“Jess,” Logan said.

“Oh!” Rory said a bit surprised that Jess would have gone to Logan. It seemed a little out of his comfort zone given the history of their last meeting many years ago. She didn’t know whether she should be happy or mad with Jess for interfering. “I guess you know all about it then?”

“Not really, only that you’ve left your husband,” Logan said. “Why didn’t you call and let me know what was going on?” he asked gently. “I would have been there for you”

“I don’t know Logan. It’s just been really hard.” Rory said without looking up at him. “I needed a bit of space for a few days.”

“Rory talk to me,” he said “Please”. Logan knew she wasn’t saying everything that she wanted to.

“Okay. Last time I saw you, I’d kind of already made my mind up that we wouldn’t do that again. Don’t get me wrong, it was amazing, more than amazing, but I figured I needed to work on things with James – getting married, it’s a big thing, isn’t it? You shouldn’t just walk away without trying, right? When I said goodbye to you I told myself that was it but then it was just so hard to leave you, and you said you wanted to be with me, I was just really confused.”

“Sorry” Logan smiled a little.

“Not your fault” Rory smiled. “It ‘s always nice to hear someone say something like that. Anyhow, in my crazy confused state I decided to go and see my mom to talk things over with her, and well you can imagine how smoothly that went.”

“Pretty bad I am guessing?” Logan asked carefully. He knew that Lorelai probably wasn’t a huge fan of his right now.

“She was generally okay, but clearly she felt that I shouldn’t be giving up on my marriage so easily but how could I stay with him when I know it’s not what I want. I can’t keep pretending it is, neither of us are happy.”

“So you went home and told James everything,” Logan asked.

“Not everything.” Rory wrinkled her nose “I didn’t think there was any need to hurt him more than I already had – although I did tell him about being on the pill.” Rory grimaced. “I don’t know why I did that. It was like word vomit. Ugh, it was just so unpleasant and he was angry. I could deal with the anger but then he got upset and he basically begged me not to leave him. I told him I had to and it was so painful, I never wanted to see him like that. I was just so upset, that I came straight here, I just needed to lay low for a few days.”

“Okay, but you should have called me,” Logan said taking hold of Rory’s hand.

“I know but…” she paused.

“…but what?” he prompted.

“My head has been such a mess and my mom put all these doubts in my mind…” Rory paused, not sure if she was ready to have the conversation yet.

Logan looked at her. “Doubts? About what?”

“Us, you” Rory shrugged “and if I am honest, I am scared of getting hurt again. I was scared that maybe I had imagined all the things we were feeling, that actually it was nothing.”

“It’s never been nothing Ace, you know that,” he said as he touched her cheek.

“Yeah, I do” Rory hesitated before speaking again. “And I kind of realized that I had to do something about my situation when Mom asked me…” Rory stopped.

“Asked you what?” Logan looked at Rory, he could see she was having an internal struggle over something and he wished she would just open up to him.

“She asked me if I was in love with you and then said, what would happen if you didn’t love me back.”

Logan smiled at Rory “I’d quite like to know the answer to that question”

Rory looked up at Logan “The answer was yes” she said quietly “Yes, I am in love with you”

Logan leaned in and kissed Rory tenderly on the lips before pulling away to look at her. “Rory, I am SO in love with you, you never need to doubt that.”

“Really?” Rory smiled but Logan noticed that she only managed to hold it for a moment before it quickly dropped again.

“What’s wrong?”

Rory nibbled her fingernail nervously. “I’m a little scared Logan, of us and the future if this doesn’t…”

Logan knew what Rory was getting at. They’d always seemed to love deeper and harder than anyone else but that also meant that when things went wrong, they fell a lot harder too. Moving on from Rory, or at least attempting to, had been one of the hardest things Logan had ever had to do.

“Rory, I don’t think that we can worry about what happens IF we can’t make it work because I’ve got news for you lady, I fully intend to make it work.” he smiled as he pulled her in close.

“Promise?”

“I’ve had to wait five years to get you back in my arms missy, you really think I am going to let you escape now?” he joked.

“The thing is Logan, I think that we really need to take this thing, whatever it is, slowly, I’m talking snail speed. This past week has been so hard for me and I want to be mindful of James…and I really don’t think that we need any of this being splashed all over the office. I’m so not ready for that and at the end of the day, I’m still married.”

“We can take it any speed you like. I will wait until you’re ready to be us again” Logan said earnestly. “It doesn’t matter how long it takes.”

“Thanks Logan. You are way too patient with me. I want you to know though that ultimately it is what I want, I just need to get all my ducks in a row if that makes sense. Does that even make sense? God, you must wonder what you’ve ever let yourself in for” She rolled her eyes.

“Not for one minute,” he said as he put his arm around her. “You go arrange your ducks, I’ll still be here. I’m not going anywhere” he said as he kissed the top of her head. “Now, next order of business. Your boss wants to know when are you going to get your ass back into work? People are missing you and by people I mean me!”

\---

When Jess got back to his apartment he wasn’t quite sure what would be waiting for him. He hoped that Rory wouldn’t be too mad at him for getting involved but he couldn’t take any more of her wallowing. He wanted to bang their heads together. If they were going to come back into each other’s lives and cause all this mayhem, they needed to get on and start moving forward.

He slowly opened the door “Rory? Is it safe to come in? Do I need a helmet? Full body armor?”

“It’s fine,” Rory said.

“Wow Gilmore, I barely recognized you without the blanket that has been surgically attached to you all this time. Tell me, was it a particularly painful procedure to have it removed?”

Rory threw a cushion at him.

“You look better. And you’re finally out of those nasty old Yale sweats. I take it things went well with lover boy?” Jess said sitting down next to her.

“Yeah, they did” She nodded. “Thanks Jess.”

“I thought you might be crazy mad with me for sending him here”

“It was a bit of a risk on your part” she raised her eyebrows “but it’s all good, I guess we needed to talk and now we have.”

“And?”

“Things are good. We know what we both want but we’re taking things one step at a time. There’s still a whole lot of mess to get through yet” she said as she pulled off her wedding and engagement rings. “What are you meant to do with these things anyhow?” she asked as she held them up to Jess.

“I dunno” he shrugged. “Give them back to him maybe?”

“Would you want them back?” Rory pulled a face.

“Hell no, I wouldn’t want them anywhere near me.”

“Exactly. Can you please just bury them somewhere where I don’t have to look at them?” she said as she handed them over to Jess. “Wow, that kind of feels weird not to have them on my hand anymore.”

“Weird good or weird bad?” he asked.

“Good I think,” she said with just a hint of melancholy. “I feel like they’ve been dragging me down like a dead weight recently.”

“Onwards and upwards huh,” Jess said as he nudged her gently.

“Definitely.”

\--

After finally facing Logan, Rory felt ready to get back to her normal life and take herself back to work. She had missed the newsroom, she loved all the buzz and activity and it had felt weird not being part of it for a few days. She wasn’t relishing the huge backlog of work that would be awaiting her though. She knew she was going to need some serious shots of caffeine to help her through as she caught up with everything.

Rory walked back into her office to be greeted by a huge arrangement of flowers tied up with a big bow. She picked up the card that was attached and opened it to read it.

“In Omnia Paratus”

Rory smiled and picked up her phone.

“Logan Huntzberger”

“Oh Mr Huntzberger, I just wanted to say thank you so much for the flowers,” Rory said in a faux sweet voice.

Logan smiled “Ah you found them then”

“Well, they would have been pretty hard to miss seeing as the bouquet is so big that I suspect you must have had to remove windows to get them into the building.” She joked.

“Anything for you, you know that?” he laughed “Too much?”

“Never too much” she laughed “Thank you so much, they’re beautiful”.

“I’m glad you’re back Ace”

“Me too,” she said sitting happily back behind her desk.

\----

A/N: Wow, I've posted way more than I normally would this week! I hope you've enjoyed all the updates. I've loved reading your comments on the story - they keep me writing and also sometimes help me direct the story if I get a bit of writer's block, so do keep them coming. Updates will probably slow down for a few days now as I've got a busy weekend coming up but there will be at least one more update before Monday, maybe two if you're lucky!


	15. Moving On Up

For the rest of the week, Rory kept her head down and completely busied herself with catching up with her work. She was just coming off a conference call late on Friday afternoon when she was disturbed by some sort of commotion outside her office door. Wondering what all the fuss was about, she stood up to see what was going on and as she reached her doorway she could hear, Stacey, the girl from reception shouting ‘Stop!’ Rory stuck her head out of the door to see James walking towards her office and Stacey chasing after him. 

“Sorry Ms Attwood I couldn’t stop him. Shall I call security?” she asked out of breath.

“No, it’s fine” Rory waved her off. “James, what are you doing here?” she said as she walked into her office and he followed her. He held out a large brown envelope towards her. “What’s that?” she asked not taking it out of his hands.

“This,” he said dropping the envelope roughly onto her desk “is our divorce papers. I’m filing on the grounds of your adultery.”

Rory closed her eyes tight. Damn living in New York, it being one of the few states in the US that still allowed at fault divorce, meaning that one party could accuse the other of wrongdoing. Rory had spent long enough working in the newspaper to know that this meant two things for her. Firstly, the divorce papers would name the person she had been adulterous with and secondly, the whole sorry situation was going to be dragged through the newspapers, well the ones they couldn’t control anyhow. 

Outside of her office, people on her floor had stopped what they were doing to listen and observe the domestic that was playing out in front of them.

“Of course, if you think that’s not right or inaccurate in any way, you can contest if you want to…” he looked at Rory for any kind of confirmation that he was wrong and that she hadn’t cheated on him “…right, I didn’t think so. Well I just hope you’re happy now, you are free to carry on screwing Huntzberger as much as you like” he said loudly as he walked out of the room and through the newsroom.

Rory’s mouth dropped and her colleagues suddenly busied themselves, pretending not to notice what was going on or that they had just been witness to the biggest piece of office gossip on a long time but she knew that they had heard every word.

 

\---

Rory grabbed the envelope off her desk and marched off through the newsroom, past all the whispering, and took the elevator straight up to the 7th floor where Logan’s office was.

“Rory?” Logan looked up as the door to his office burst open. He saw Rory standing by the door clutching the envelope, her face was full of fury. He got up and walked over to her. 

“What’s the matter? What’s that?” he asked. 

“I’ve just had a visit from my husband. These are divorce papers from James…” she said throwing the envelope down on Logan’s desk.

Logan looked at her slightly confused. He hadn’t really expected James to have taken this step, not so soon anyhow. Rory had told him she had suggested a separation and divorce hadn’t been mentioned, yet but he was also wondering why she would be that concerned that he wanted a divorce straightaway. 

“…he’s going for an at-fault divorce because I cheated on him, with you, so naturally you’re named in these…” Rory sighed.

“Do you want to contest it…I can get the lawyers to start looking at it…” Logan asked.

“What’s the point? I mean, there’s not much to contest is there. I did cheat on him and he knows it.” She said and sat down on the sofa. “Oh, and by the way, he just outed that very fact to my entire floor so now my whole team are fully aware that we slept together and my husband is divorcing me for it.”

Logan groaned. He sat down next to her and rubbed his face with his hand. “Are you okay? Aside from being incredibly angry…”

“Surprisingly, yes” she sighed. “I suppose it was the next natural step, and I think that fact that I am okay with the actual divorce means it’s definitely the right thing huh. Although I’ve got to say, I really don’t relish this being dragged all through the newspapers. Page Six are going to just love this. It probably makes things slightly easier for us though.” 

“What do you mean?” Logan looked at Rory.

“Well, now the cat is well and truly out of the bag, I don’t see the point in hiding the fact that we are starting to date anymore. I mean, the main reasons I didn’t want to put it out there was to protect James and so there wouldn’t be any awkwardness at work but that’s all been shot to shit now hasn’t it so…”

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Logan asked.

“You, me, isn’t this what you wanted?” Rory turned to face Logan.

Logan smiled. “Of course it’s what I wanted, but you wanted to take things slowly”

“I still do” Rory nodded, “I think we still need to get to know each other again properly and we don’t have to turn it into anything serious…yet, I mean I AM still married…just dating….” She rambled.

Logan interrupted her “I’m stopping you there. Don’t you dare say ‘no strings attached’ because you know that isn’t going to work for either of us.”

Rory smiled “Dating…with strings?”

“I like the sound of that.” Logan smiled as he leaned over to kiss Rory and she gasped as he slid one hand under her shirt and the other along her thigh.

“Logan! Not here!” she said as she playfully slapped his hand away. 

“What? My office is nice and private, I can lock the door…” Logan pleaded.

Rory laughed. “Oh, and you really think Celia is going to appreciate hearing us having sex on your desk?”

“Wow Ace, you are just pure filth, the thought never even crossed my mind!” Logan said pretending to be shocked.

“Sure it didn’t,” Rory said as she stood up and adjusted her clothing. “I’ll see you later,” she said as she walked back to her office.

 

\---

Rory returned to her desk and checked her email. She smiled when she saw that there was already one email from Logan waiting in her inbox.

To: rory.attwood@ nytimes.com  
From: logan.huntzberger @ huntzbergermedia.com

Subject: Very important business

Message: You better believe that I WILL make that happen. Lx

Reading the email kind of took her breath away a little, and she couldn’t believe how one tiny message could make her feel so turned on. Emails like that definitely brightened up her working day.

To: logan.huntzberger @ huntzbergermedia.com  
From: rory.attwood@ nytimes.com

Subject: Re: Very important business

Message: I look forward to it…

Rory smiled as she pressed send on the email and got back to her work. The newsroom was completely awash with excited staff sharing rumors about their features editor and the boss but she mainly just tried to ignore them and carried on with reading through articles. She knew the novelty would die down eventually but it didn’t’ make it any less uncomfortable. She had only just settled back into concentrating on the articles that were left on her desk when Kate came in.

“Ror? I just thought I’d come and see if you were okay”

“I’ve been better. How bad is it out there?” Rory grimaced.

Kate pulled a sympathetic face “Don’t worry about it, they’ll get bored soon. In fairness, it was some scene!”

“My life is just one big source of entertainment isn’t it” Rory rolled her eyes. “Maybe I’ll make it into a bestseller one day” she joked.

“Could be a moneyspinner” Kate laughed “So you and Logan huh? You’re going for it?” Kate asked.

Rory nodded. “Kind of. We’re taking things slowly.”

“What does that mean?” Kate asked intrigued.

‘Just that we’re dating for a bit, keeping it casual, at least until this goddamn divorce is over and done with” Rory said waving the envelope at her friend.

\---

Over the weekend, Logan helped Rory move into a newly rented apartment. He had told her a million times that she could just move into his apartment with him but she knew as tempting as that offer was, it was probably the wrong thing to do. This was the first time in a few years that she’d actually had the opportunity to live on her own and she wanted to experience that again. A small part of the reason she had left James was that she felt she had lost sight of who she was. Jumping straight back into a serious live-in relationship with another partner was not going to help her rediscover herself. 

Rory and Jess had gone back to the home that she had shared with James to collect all her belongings while he was out. She had looked around the apartment to see if there was anything else she should be taking with her but everything seemed insignificant and was from a life that she no longer wanted to be part of. She felt a little sad as she walked out of there for the last time but she also couldn’t ignore the feelings of relief.

“That’s the last of the boxes,” Logan said as he put them down on the floor. “You know, I really don’t like this apartment.” He said looking around.

“Well, it’s just as well that you don’t have to live here isn’t” Rory laughed “Logan, come on you have never liked any of the places I’ve lived.”

“Yeah but I really don’t like this one. It has a weird vibe to it. Are you sure there wasn’t a grisly murder here?”

“No, I believe it was in the apartment next door.” Rory rolled her eyes. “It’s fine for now, plus it’s really all I can afford at the moment. At least until the divorce comes through and the apartment is sold.”

“About that – Colin is on to it. He’s going to see if he can get your divorce moved through any quicker.”

“Thanks” Rory smiled. She’d yet to reconnect with Logan’s friends but Colin was now a lawyer in his family firm and Logan saw him often.

“You know, you didn’t have to live here at all,” he said as he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist “You could have come and lived with me. I‘ve a ton of space and there would have been plenty of perks and benefits…”

“We talked about that,” she said as she leaned back into him “but I think as we’ve been on the sum total of two actual dates, it might be kind of rushing things, don’t you?”

“If you say so,” Logan said.

Rory yawned and stretched out her arms. “I am so exhausted, I think it’s time to hit the shower and give my new bed a testing.”

“Wow, so incredibly forward, but okay Ace, if you insist,” he said pushing her towards the bathroom as she giggled.

\---

The next morning Rory was awake early, the morning sun having woken her through the window that was as yet still without curtains. She made a mental note to stop off and buy some later that day. 

As she lay with her head on Logan’s chest, she couldn’t help but think how right it felt to be there. It was actually the first time since before her graduation that she had woken up with Logan in the morning, and she couldn’t believe it felt so natural. She was where she belonged.

“Morning Ace” Logan yawned.

“Morning” she smiled. “Did you sleep okay? I mean, I was a little concerned. You are kind of slumming it here – it’s not quite your palace, there’s not even a doorman here.” she joked.

“I slept like a baby. I think you wore me out” Logan groaned. “Gotta say, seeing as we’ve still not made it to our third official date I am a little surprised. I mean, I’m pretty sure some of that stuff is actually in illegal in several states”

Rory elbowed him. “Don’t be rude” she laughed “We had better get up,” she said knowing that they should be at the office in an hour.

Logan called his driver to collect him from Rory’s new place. “Are you ready to do the walk of shame?” he said as they pulled up outside the building.

Rory looked at him and wrinkled her nose “Which one of us is in shame?”

“Well, only one of us is married so…” he joked as she playfully slapped him.

“Actually, do you know, I don’t think I am ready” she bit her lip and shook her head. While she was getting used to everyone talking about them and the fact that they had obviously been sleeping together, thanks to her James’s little announcement, she wasn’t ready to brazenly stroll into the office hand-in-hand with her boss.

“That’s okay,” Logan said as he kissed her on the top of the head. “Why don’t you go in first and I’ll go and pick up some coffee? Wouldn’t want you getting into trouble with the boss for being late” He winked.

“Thanks, Logan” Rory smiled as she stepped out of the limo and headed into the office with a new-found spring in her step.


	16. Rumors and Lies

Over the next few weeks, as could have been predicted things started to settle down at the office. Their colleagues had got bored of gossiping over the fledgling romance and had by now moved on to gossiping about someone else.

Rory had settled into her new apartment quite well, though Logan still wasn’t happy with her living there but she was adamant that is where she wanted to be. They had continued to go on dates once or twice a week, and although neither of them were seeing other people, they had resisted putting a label on what they were while her divorce was still progressing.

That morning the newsroom was expecting a visit from Mitchum Huntzberger, which meant that everyone was head down trying to keep busy or at the very least, trying to make themselves look busy. It wasn’t that people were overly scared of him but more that he was the person they wanted to impress in the hope of getting some praise or even better, a promotion.

Mitchum entered Logan’s office and sat down opposite him. He hadn’t knocked on the door but Logan expected nothing less from this father.

“So is it true?” Mitchum said as he leaned back with his hands behind his head.

“Is what true?” Logan asked.

“The rumors I’ve heard about you and our lovely features editor.” Mitchum raised an eyebrow at his son watching for his reaction.

“I guess that depends on what you’ve heard,” Logan said looking at his father trying not to give too much away.

“I heard that James Attwood was in the office recently, throwing around accusations that you have been screwing his wife into next week.”

Logan closed his eyes and rubbed his face “It’s not like that Dad.” He hated that people might think that Rory was just another of his conquests. It had never been like that with her.

“Aha, so it’s true!” Mitchum laughed “I knew that something was going on there. Never really saw you as a home-wrecker Logan.”

“She’s getting divorced,” Logan said.

“I heard. I also heard that you are named in the divorce papers. Your mother is going to have a fit over this. You know that we aren’t going to be able to control this news don’t you?” Mitchum said looking at his son.

Logan nodded. “I’m more concerned about Rory than myself. James Attwood has a lot of fans, I’m worried how this will all reflect on her.”

Mitchum nodded. “You might have wanted to think about that before you jumped into bed together but we’ll do our best to minimize any bad press. You know, it wouldn’t hurt for you two to start putting on a loving united front. Legitimize it and make it look less like a sordid tryst…”

\---

On the advice of Mitchum, Rory and Logan prepared to make their first official appearance together. They were to attend an awards ceremony at The Plaza, officially representing Huntzberger Media.

As they entered the event, Logan took Rory by the hand and cast an appreciative glance up and down. She was wearing a midnight blue off-the-shoulder, mermaid-style gown, that carefully skimmed over her enviable figure with her hair swept up to one side and fastened into a messy bun. Logan couldn’t get over how lucky he was to have someone as beautiful as her on his arm.

“What are you looking at?” Rory said self-consciously.

“I can’t wait until you take that dress off later”

Rory looked at him confused “You don’t like my dress?”

Logan moved in closer “Oh no I love that dress. But I have a feeling that I am going to like what’s underneath it a whole lot more.” He whispered in her ear and Rory shivered.

“But there’s nothing underneath?” Rory said with a smile watching as Logan swallowed hard.

“Erm..what?!” he looked at her eyes wide.

“I’m not really a fan of a VPL” she winked and Logan groaned as she took him by the hand and led him into the event.

“You do know that is ALL I will think about now” he complained.

Rory and Logan made their way around the event, doing what they had to do, making pleasantries with people. After a while they split up, not wanting it to look like they were too much in each other’s pockets. Logan couldn’t take his eyes off Rory and all the way through the event all he could think about was how soon could they leave. Seeing his opportunity when Rory was walking over towards the bar, he made excuses from the people he had been chatting with and headed over to her. Rory spun around as she felt his arm snake around her waist.

“Are you ready to go?” he whispered in his ear.

Rory was about to protest, the night was still young after all, but she could see the lust in his eyes and as he trailed his fingers down the back of her neck and spine, she was easily convinced that it was time to leave.

Logan called the limo to collect them and as they drove away from The Plaza, Rory settled back in Logan's arms. The city lights and view from the limo was amazing and Rory thought it all felt incredibly romantic. Logan put his hand on Rory's leg and told her just how beautiful she was, prompting her to lean in and give him a lingering kiss. It wasn't long before they were making out like teenagers in the back seat of the limo. Logan pulled Rory in closer and she gave a slight moan she felt his hand sneak up under her dress and she opened her legs slightly to grant him access. She closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat as he slowly moved his fingers inside her. As he could feel her getting close, Logan stifled her moans with a deep kiss. She was completely powerless in his grasp and that was exactly the way he wanted it.

\--

The next day Logan was sitting in his office when his father came in.

“I told you to legitimize the relationship, not give the paparazzi a peep show,” Mitchum said throwing the paper down at Logan.

“What?” Logan said as he picked up the copy of Page Six that his dad had dropped on his desk.

There on the front in glorious technicolor was a photo of Logan caught up in a very amorous embrace about to get into a limo. Logan had his arm wrapped around Rory as he kissed her neck and grabbed her ass with his free hand. Rory was throwing her head back in laughter. The photo looked like two young people very much in love. Logan smiled at the memory of the limo journey and what had followed back at his apartment. It had been a good night, a very good night indeed.

“It looks worse than it was Dad,” Logan said.

“Perhaps you want to read the article inside before you dismiss it too much?” Mitchum said.

Meanwhile, a few floors down in her office Rory was enjoying her morning coffee and indulging in her guilty love of gossip and Page Six when she suddenly saw the photo on the front and spat out her coffee. “Oh my God!” she shouted realizing that today SHE was the gossip.

**_From Broadway Star to Media Mogul!_ **

**_The journalist wife of Broadway star James Attwood has been caught having a torrid affair with her newly-appointed boss, Page Six has exclusively learned._ **

**_Sources say Lorelai Leigh Attwood, Features Editor at the New York Times has left husband of more than two years for Vice President of Huntzberger Media, Logan Huntzberger. The couple allegedly met while they were students at Yale several years ago._ **

**_Last night Attwood and Huntzberger were photographed looking very cozy at the annual Young Voices in Journalism event which was held at The Plaza Hotel. Unconfirmed rumors state that James Attwood has filed for divorce based on his cheating wife’s adulterous affair with her college sweetheart._ **

**_A rep for Huntzberger Media, the owner of the New York Times, said the company did not discuss employees’ personal lives and refused to comment on behalf of either Lorelai Attwood or Logan Huntzberger._ **

  
“You saw it then” Kate’s head popped round the door. “I think it’s a really flattering photo if that makes you feel any better, you guys look really happy….okay, it looks like you’re about to start humping each other at any moment which I presume you did shortly afterwards…” she smirked.

“Have you seen what they have written?” Rory said shaking her head.

“I have” Kate grimaced “but it could have been a lot worse.”

Rory glared at her and groaned. “Ugh I never thought I would become tabloid fodder, my grandparents are just going to adore this.”

Rory was busy rereading the article when her cell phone rang.

“I’m going to go” Kate whispered as Rory answered the call.

“Hello,” she said unhappily.

“Oh, Rory. I just had to tell you how proud I am that my beautiful, bright, intelligent daughter had made it to the heady heights of Page Six. Not for her incredible journalist talents, oh no, but for making out with the boss she cheated on her fabulous actor husband for.”

“Mom…” Rory groaned.

“Nice work Rory,” Lorelai said sarcastically.

“I really don’t need this right now” Rory sighed.

“You didn’t even tell me?” Lorelai exclaimed.

Rory rolled her eyes, glad that her mother couldn’t actually see that. “What?”

“That you and Logan were back together.”

“Well you didn’t exactly sound thrilled when I mentioned him before…so…besides we’re not _together_ together, we’re just dating. It’s a casual thing” Rory said.

Lorelai scoffed. “Doesn’t look it. I haven’t seen many casual dates squeezing my daughters ass like that before”

“What bothers you most about this mom? That James is divorcing me for cheating on him? That it was with Logan? Or that this might reflect badly on you?” Rory said with a raised voice.

“That’s not fair Rory”

“This is my life mom, so stay out of it. I have to go” Rory said as she ended the call. She looked up and saw Logan standing by the door.

“Lorelai?” he asked as he came in and shut the door behind him.

“Don’t shut the door, people will talk?” Rory said.

“I think people are already talking Ace” he joked “Seriously though, are you okay?”

“Me? Absolutely fine. I believe that my scarlet letter is being couriered here as we speak”

“You might want to rethink that. I don’t think the red is going to work with your outfit” he shook his head.

\---

Later that evening Rory was sitting at home alone in her apartment. She had declined Logan’s offer for dinner, just feeling that all she wanted to do was get in some sweats and watch a crappy movie. She was just settling down in front of the TV with her gigantic bowl of popcorn and a glass of wine when there was a knock at the door. She opened it to find Kate standing there.

“Kate! Is everything okay?” Rory said as he gestured for Kate to come in.

“Yeah…how has your day been?”

“Well it started off okay, it swiftly moved towards bad and then I got into a fight with my mom so it quickly degenerated to worse…” Rory threw her hands up in the air.

“Good to hear.” Kate smiled.

“Are you okay Kate?” Rory looked at her friend who was acting a little oddly.

“I need to tell you something and well, this could either turn your day around or make it even worse.” Kate bit her lip.

“I’m listening…” Rory said apprehensively.

“Okay, well I was on a job today and it happened to be at the theater where James’s show is running. There was some gossiping going on, you know, over your article, and I happened to overhear something…” Kate bit her lip.

“Oh?” Rory said intrigued.

“Do you know a Tamara Lucas?”

Rory looked puzzled “Yes, she’s one of James’s co-stars, I met her about a year or so ago, why?”

“Well….apparently James slept with her and she’s pregnant with his child,” Kate said quickly.

“Wow, I guess, good luck to them. I mean it’s fast but…” Rory shrugged, not quite knowing how she should feel about the news.

“No, you don’t understand. She’s about three months pregnant which means…”

“That he cheated on me” Rory’s hand flew up to her mouth.

\--

Rory stood outside the apartment door, banging on it loudly before it opened.

“Rory?”

“You lying son of a bitch!” she screamed at him. “You made me feel like I was the worst person in the world, yet you not only cheated on me long before we separated, you got somebody pregnant!”

James backed into the room. He had rarely seen Rory so angry.

“Not only that – my name has been dragged through the mud and I am being made to look like the bad person. I was ready to accept that given the circumstances but…” she shook her head. “I can’t believe you had the audacity to be so self-righteous, citing my affair as the reason for our divorce and act like it was me alone that destroyed this marriage.”

“I…” James started to speak. “I’m sorry Rory. I was just angry with you. I just wanted to get back at you. I was convinced that you were sleeping with Logan…”

“You were wrong” she spat. “Well, you were wrong then” she added, no longer caring what she though.

“Yeah, I figured, I saw the photo.”

“You and most of New York,” she said sarcastically.

“I love you, Rory, it meant nothing to me. God, I just want us together again like it used to be. I mean, we’ve both made our mistakes, we can get over this together” he said taking hold of her hand.

Rory snatched her hand away and walked towards the apartment door but stopped to look over her shoulder before she left. “YOU might have made a mistake James, but I didn’t,” she said shaking her head “I love Logan, I don’t regret a thing,” she said as she walked out and let the door slam behind her.

 


	17. Life and Death

Rory didn’t see Logan the next day at work as he’d had to head out of the city for a meeting but he had arranged to pick her up later that night and take her out for dinner. He’d been so busy with work so she hadn’t yet had the chance to talk to him about what she had found out about James. Rory was really enjoying doing the dating thing with Logan at the moment, it was nice taking things slowly and relearning things about each other with no pressure at all but she really didn’t know how long it could realistically stay like that as she found herself missing Logan more and more when they were apart. She’d practically spent all day counting down until their date that night and when he knocked the door she very nearly ran to open it. She fixed her dress and pulled the door open to greet him with a big smile.

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” he said as he leaned in to kiss on the cheek “You look beautiful Ace.”

“Thanks” Rory blushed. She had never been very good at accepting compliments, but when they came from Logan she always felt a little flushed. She had deliberated long and hard over what she should wear to dinner that night, wanting to look really good for her date with Logan, and in the end had settled on a deep red fitted dress with a dangerously low back and some super high heels that made her legs look even longer than they were.

“Are you ready to go?” Logan asked.

“Not quite, do you want to come in?” she opened the door wider.

“Yeah sure,” he said as he walked into her apartment.

“Just take a seat, I’ll just be a few minutes. Is Frank waiting downstairs?” Rory asked as she walked into her bedroom.

“Yeah but it’s okay”

“I’ll be quick” Rory shouted as she finished off fixing her hair.

While he waited for her, Logan wandered around the living room of Rory’s rented apartment and looked at the photos that she had placed around the room. Some of them were from their Yale days and made him smile as they brought back so many good memories, while others were obviously from places that she had been over the years, during the time they had been apart. There was a photo sitting on the sideboard of Rory in her wedding dress being hugged tightly by her mom. Logan picked it up to look at it. She looked happy in the picture and the image of her, standing there in her wedding dress tugged on his heartstrings a little. 

Rory walked out of the bedroom and silently watched Logan as he picked up the photo and looked at it for a moment. She had deliberated about putting one of her wedding photos out on display but it really hadn’t been about the event, it was about the people in it. She wondered what Logan was thinking as he looked at it. 

“Do you think it’s weird?” she asked making Logan jump. He put the photo back down.

“Sorry, I was just being a bit nosy,” he said as he turned to look at her.

Rory shrugged “No big deal, they’re there to be looked at. I just wondered if maybe you thought that it was a bit weird that I had a wedding photo out. It’s not that I particularly want to remember it or anything, it’s just that is one of the nicest photos I have of me and my mom together.”

Logan nodded. “It’s a nice photo. You made a beautiful bride Ace, but then I always knew you would” he smiled.

Their eyes locked across the room. Rory knew that his smile hid a hint of sadness and that he was obviously thinking back to when he had proposed to her all those years ago. She had often wondered herself what her wedding would have been liked if she had said yes to marrying Logan.

Rory flicked her hair back and smiled self-consciously. “We should go, right?”

“Yeah, let's go,” Logan said as she slipped his hand in hers.

\--

When they got to the restaurant, Rory took her seat opposite Logan. Once they had ordered their food, she told Logan everything that Kate had found out about James, and then explained how she had gone and confronted him about it.

“Wow, so you’re telling me that he actually cheated on you before you and me…” Logan asked.

“Yeah! I mean, I don’t suppose that it really makes the situation any better; it probably only makes us as bad as each other, but seriously? All the shit he gave me and he’d already slept with someone else.” Rory said. “He had a nerve, that’s for sure.”

“You do realise that this means you could quite easily contest the divorce now. You could use recrimination as your defense seeing as he engaged in what the court would view as similar conduct. Legally he shouldn’t be able to use adultery as grounds for an at-fault divorce if he has also been adulterous but Colin would know more about that.”

Rory took a gulp of her wine and nodded “I know I could, but to be honest, I kind of just want to get it all over and done with as quickly as possible now. If I contest it then it is just going to drag it all out longer, it will no doubt end up with more court appearances and wrangling. I don’t want a messy divorce being dragged through the newspapers, I just want to move on. Besides, the damage has already been done. I’m already the scarlet lady of the New York Times.”

Logan laughed “As long as you’re sure because we can get it sorted…” He really hoped that she would contest it, she could at least hold her head up high then and perhaps she’d feel less embarrassment about the whole thing but he wasn’t going to push the subject with her as at the end of the day, it didn’t really feel like it was any of his business..

“It’s fine, honestly,” Rory said holding up her hands.

“Well, if you change your mind…” Logan paused for a moment before continuing. “Can I ask something?”

“Sure” Rory smiled.

“How did it make you feel, I mean finding out that he’s going to be a father?”

Rory’s smile dropped slightly. “I don’t know really. Weird. I mean, I feel like it’s probably something that should bother me more, but it doesn’t. I am pretty relieved that I actually went on the pill though. Man, if I think my life is messy now, can you imagine what state it would have been if I had gotten pregnant too?” Rory pulled a face. “He wanted a family, looks like he’s going to get his wish.” 

“That’s true, but I kind of think he probably wanted that to be with you Ace.” Logan smiled.

“And that would have been a bigger mistake than us getting married in the first place,” Rory said pointedly. 

“Did you not want to have children at all?” Logan said as he took a sip of his drink.

“I’m not sure. I never really thought about it until he brought it up but as soon as he did, I pretty much knew it wasn’t something I really wanted, well, I mean, I know I definitely didn’t want them with him.” She said a little awkwardly. “Anyhow, Logan, we’re meant to be on a date. Do we really want to spend all night talking about my ex?” she smiled.

\--

“How do you feel about this night carrying on for a bit longer?” Logan said after they finished dinner and he helped Rory into her coat. She turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow in a suggestive manner.

“I don’t mean like that! I happen to know that Colin and Finn are a few blocks away and I know they’d really love to see you. What do you say?”

“Sure, why not.” Rory smiled. 

She hadn’t seen either of them since she graduated and it would be nice to catch up with them both, especially as Logan had set Colin handling her divorce and other than phone calls and emails, she hadn’t yet had a proper chance to see him. They hopped into the limo and Frank dropped them outside the bar where the guys were.

“Well well, well. if it isn’t the one and only infamous Rory Gilmore” Colin said as she stood up to greet her when they walked in.

“Nice to see you again Colin,” Rory said as he gave him a brief kiss on the cheek.

“Excuse me, love, do I know you?” Finn said as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her right in tight to him.

“Erm, easy there Finn!” Logan said pulling him off.

“Someone’s a bit protective?” Finn raised an eyebrow at his friend.

Rory smiled. “Hey Finn. It’s really good to see you”

“It’s really good to see you too. Rory darling, you look amazing, now I understand why Logan hasn’t been able to keep his hands off you” He winked.

“I don’t think that’s strictly true” Rory blushed a little.

“You can’t deny it, my love. I saw the photo in the paper” Finn nudged her. “We all know what was going on that night. Wink wink.”

Rory groaned “That photo is going to come back and haunt me for the rest of my life, isn’t it? Do you think there is anybody that hasn’t seen it? Or at least anyone that has seen it but doesn’t think we were about to tear the clothes off each other?”

“If my memory serves me right, I think shortly after that photo was taken things escalated quite quickly…” Logan started to say but Rory slapped him on the arm to tell him to shush. “Ah Ace,” he said as he put his arm around her shoulder. “I think it’s a great photo, I’m going to save it to show our grandkids one day so they’ll know that we too were once young and hot.”

Rory raised an eyebrow at the mention of grandkids. It was only a passing remark mentioned in jest but it made her tummy do a weird kind of flip.

“So what’s the deal with you guys anyway?” Finn asked. 

“We’re dating” Logan looked at Rory and shrugged.

“Just dating, like casually?” Finn said. 

“We’re just taking it slowly at the moment, given that I’ve still got a painful and rather humiliating divorce to get myself through at the moment” Rory rolled her eyes. 

“Actually about that, can I just have a quick word?” Colin asked and pulled Rory to one side to discuss a few things.

While Colin and Rory were talking - he was mainly just letting her know that he had some forms she needed to sign at some point and telling her what was going to happen next - Finn and Logan went to the bar to get some drinks.

“So, come on Logan, what’s really going on with you two mate? You can’t tell me that you’re just casual. You two have never been able to make that work in the past, I can’t see it working well now.”

“At the moment, that’s the way it is,” Logan said. “That’s how Rory wants it for now, at least until everything is sorted.”

Finn looked at his friend. “And you’re really okay with that?”

Logan shrugged. “I don’t have a lot of choice right now. I want to be with Rory so I’m willing to wait until she’s ready to turn this into something more…permanent.”

”Mate, she left her husband for you, I’m pretty sure she wants something more permanent” Finn laughed.

“Why do I feel like my ears are burning,” Rory said as she walked up to Logan and slid her arm around his waist. 

“Don’t worry, most of it was good” he teased as he leaned over to kiss her.

“Damn, well don’t go ruining my bad reputation! I’ve worked hard for that. Do you know how long it has taken for me to be turned into a gossip item in Page Six? I feel like I may have peaked!” Rory joked.

“It’s all downhill from here love!” Finn said as he passed her a drink.

Logan watched Rory laughing and joking with his friends; she just fit in so easily to his life, it was almost like no time had passed at all. He was ecstatic about having her back in his life, he’d never really dared dream that would ever be a possibility – until fate stepped in and brought them back to the same place. He was comfortable to wait until she was ready for more but he couldn’t wait until they were at a place where they could move their lives on, together.


	18. Family Ties

Rory had just got herself out of the shower when the phone started to ring. She quickly wrapped herself in a towel and ran to answer it.

“Hey Ace, I was just wondering what you were up to today?’

“Hey, yourself. I’m just getting ready to go to Stars Hollow for dinner with my mom and Luke, later on, things have been a bit weird recently” she paused “You can come if you want to?” she bit her lip and wondered why she invited him like that. They were meant to be dating but somehow it felt that dinner with the family was straying into different territory altogether.

“Oh, I don’t know…” Logan paused. “I mean, your mom hasn’t been exactly over the moon about any of this. I’m sure I am not her favorite person right about now.”

“It will be fine, she’s mad at me, not you. Mom is going to have to get used to my situation at some point anyhow, there’s no going back now!”

“Okay,” Logan said. “I’ll come with you, but you'd better protect me from the wrath of Lorelai” he joked.

“Always. Great. I’ll drive, I’ll pick you up in about an hour.” Rory said with a smile.

\-------

Rory and Logan pulled up outside her childhood home. It had been quite a while since Logan had visited Stars Hollow, in fact, he hadn’t been there since he’d come back with Rory and they’d walked around that crazy hay bale maze that Taylor Doose had created in the town square. That had been such a good day and it had also been the day that it had really been cemented in his mind that this was the girl he wanted to marry. It was the day when they had promised to factor each other into their decision-making and at that point in time, it had felt like everything was theirs for the taking. Even though they were both unsure about what lay ahead in their respective futures, Logan had felt certain that they were stronger together which is why when his world came crumbling down only a short while later, it had come as a real blow. Being back there, in the place where they’d made those promises about their future felt slightly odd but there was no time to dwell on that too much as Lorelai was walking down the porch steps to greet them.

“Hey there! Good to see you again Logan” Lorelai forced a smile. She hadn’t been entirely surprised when Rory had called her to let her know that she was bringing Logan with her that day and she wasn’t entirely happy about it either. As much as she knew her daughter was crazy about Logan, from her point of view, he seemed to bring so much chaos to her normally calm and rational daughter.

“Yeah, you too Lorelai.” Logan smiled back. He felt a bit awkward being there but his long-term aim was a future with Rory, and he knew her mother was always going to play a part in that.

“I’m starving, is dinner ready?” Rory asked noticing the awkwardness that seemed to be hanging in the air.

“Yes, yes, Luke is just finishing it off,” she said as she ushered them both into the house.

\------

As usual Luke had prepared an outstandingly delicious meal and they all sat around the table, politely chatting. Rory could sense a little bit of an atmosphere so she was pretty sure that in the not too distance future, her mother would start throwing awkward questions her way. Lorelai had, of course, learned from the very best.

“So are you guys like a couple now?” Lorelai said without looking up at them.

‘And here it comes’ thought Rory. “Mom,” she said in a warning tone as she put her knife and fork down.

“What?” Lorelai looked at her daughter.

“Is it really appropriate to just ask things like that at dinner? You sound like Grandma.”

“Ouch dagger through the heart kiddo” Lorelai smiled “So?” she waited for a response.

Rory looked across at Logan and bit her lip. “No, we’re not a ‘couple’ really. Well kind of I suppose, I mean we’re sort of working up to it.” She knew she was rambling. She was uncomfortable answering the question in front of Logan.

“What does that mean?” Luke asked.

“It just means that I am not even divorced yet so it doesn’t really feel appropriate to jump straight into another relationship. Neither of us is ready for that so we’re keeping things casual and we’re having fun together, right? She said looking at Logan to back her up.

Logan met Rory’s eyes. “Right” he nodded.

Lorelai raised an eyebrow. She was an expert at reading people and situations and right now, Logan’s body language was saying something totally different altogether suggesting he didn’t completely agree with Rory.

“Fun huh? Well, I guess that’s cool. If you’re both happy” Lorelai shrugged.

“We’re happy” Rory confirmed, wishing her mom would drop the subject.

“Well, then I’m happy,” Lorelai exclaimed.

“Great, I think we’ve established that we’re all happy, now can we eat without all the questions?” Luke asked looking at Lorelai.

The rest of the meal was relatively uneventful. Lorelai had picked up that Rory didn’t want to talk about her and Logan so she dropped it, even though she had more to say. After they had all finished dinner, Logan excused himself to return a call and stepped outside of the house for some privacy.

\------

“Hey, Logan. I was just returning your call from earlier”

“Thanks, Colin. Sorry, couldn’t talk earlier, I was having dinner with Rory’s mom and Luke.” Logan said.

“Dinner with the parents? Sounds serious” Colin joked.

“Seriously uncomfortable. I could think of many other places I’d rather be right now.” Logan sighed “Anyhow I wanted to talk to you about Rory.”

“Okay…” Colin said intrigued.

“Did she happen to tell you anything about James last night?” Logan asked.

“No…we just spoke about some of the formalities. Why is there something I should know?”

Logan took a deep breath. He knew that when Rory found out he had spoken to Colin behind her back she was going to be pretty angry. It wasn’t his divorce to get involved in.

“Look, she’s going to know that this came from me and that’s fine, just handle this sensitively okay? It turns out that while James is divorcing Rory on the grounds of her adultery, he cheated on her first.”

“Really? Okay, well that changes things I guess. I mean we could get his filing throw out. Obviously, she still wants the divorce but we can get the at-fault part overturned. The thing is we will probably have to take this in front of the court and to make a credible case we’re going to need proof that he cheated and that this was prior to anything starting up between you guys.”

“How about the fact that the jerk got someone else pregnant?” Logan said.

“You’re kidding!” Colin exclaimed.

“Nope! She’s apparently a couple of months along.”

“Well, that would work for sure!”

“The only problem is, Rory doesn’t want to contest, she just wants to let it go through so it’s over quickly,” Logan explained to his friend.

Colin sighed. “I can see why but I wouldn’t recommend it. Do you want to me to try and talk to her?”

“Yeah, maybe. Look I’ve got to go back in. I’ll speak to you later this week?"

\------

With Logan talking outside on his phone, Lorelai seized the opportunity to get Rory on her own and pulled her over to one side.

“What are you doing?” Lorelai asked Rory.

“What?” Rory looked at mother puzzled.

“I said…what are you doing! You come here bringing Logan to dinner but you’re telling me you’re not a couple? What, have you gone back to your friends with benefits phase? That was fine for college Rory but you have walked away from your marriage for exactly what?” Lorelai ranted.

“Oh God mom,” Rory said holding her head in her hands. “Are you really going to lecture me on a failed marriage because honestly, I don’t remember your first marriage ending all that well do you?” she said sarcastically.

Lorelai folded her arms “That was different.”

“How so?” Rory asked.

“It just was!” Lorelai said exasperatedly as she followed Rory who had started to walk away. “Did you even try to fix things with James before you ran off with Logan to become his slam piece.”

Rory spun around and looked at her mom. “You are unbelievable!” she laughed and shook her head. “What is your problem? You’ve always been against me and Logan, from the start.”

“That’s not true! I just wanted you to think all of this through a bit more before you rushed into any decisions.”

“So you think I should have worked harder to stay with a man who cheated on me FIRST? Who got some other girl pregnant when we were meant to be trying for a baby ourselves?” Rory looked at her mom.

“What?” Lorelai said shocked.

“Turns out James – not so perfect after all, huh mom,” Rory said as she picked up her bag.

“Rory, where are you going?” Lorelai called after her.

“As far away from here as possible” she shouted back and walked outside just as Logan was finishing his call.

“What’s going on?” he asked, he could see from Rory’s face that something was up.

“We’re leaving,” she said as she got into the car. “That’s what is going on.”

Rory was pretty quiet on the journey back to New York City, though she filled Logan in on the conversation with her mom, sparing him a few details. She was tired and frustrated and so when Logan had asked her to come in, she insisted that she just wanted to go back to her own apartment. Rory dropped him off at his place and headed home. She was stewing over her fight with her mom, struggling to understand just why she was always so down on her and Logan.

\------

After Rory had dropped Logan back at his place, he poured a scotch and sat on the sofa. He knew that something had clearly spooked her a little and he really hoped that nothing that Lorelai had said to her had changed her mind about them in any way. Lorelai still seemed to hold a lot of influence over Rory, and though he knew that she tried hard not to let it bother her, sometimes the things her mom said played on her mind.

He relaxed in front of the TV for a while and was just about to get into the shower when there was a knock at the door. He walked over and opened the door somewhat surprised to find Rory on the other side. Of it

“Hey” she smiled.

“Hey yourself” he smiled back.

“Can I come in?” she asked.

“Of course. You want a drink?”

“Actually, yeah, I’d kill for a martini. A strong one” she said as she sat down.

“Coming right up,” he said as he walked over to the cabinet and poured her a drink. He handed her the glass and sat down next to her on the sofa.

“I’m really sorry Logan, I didn’t mean to act all weird with you. Ugh, she just really gets to me sometimes you know. I love my mom, but she can be judgemental of my life and my choices and sometimes I wish she would just back off.”

“Hey don’t worry about it. You’re okay though?” he said.

Rory nodded as she sipped her drink.

“Are you staying for a bit?” he asked.

She smiled “If that’s okay?”

“Of course it is, I’m just going to have a shower and I’ll be right back.”

Rory sat on Logan’s sofa while he was in the shower. She’d calmed down since they’d left Stars Hollow but she was still angry with her mom. Lorelai knew nothing about her relationship with Logan and Rory was pissed that her mom would try and trivialize it, purely because they were trying not to rush into anything. Rory resolved not to let anything that Lorelai said to get to her – she was done letting her mom influence her decisions.

\------

A couple of days later, Rory was sitting in her apartment with Jess. He had come around for one of their movie nights. It had been a few weeks since she had last seen him and she wanted to fill him in on the Stars Hollow drama because she knew that out of everyone in her life, he would understand what she was talking about, him having had his own fair share of Lorelai run-ins in the past.

“Wow, Lorelai really doesn’t hold back does she?” Jess said.

Rory sighed “No, and she has no right to be like that.”

“I guess she’s just worried about you and maybe she’s a little jealous”

“Jealous?” Rory looked at Jess slightly confused. “Of what?”

“Yeah, of you and Logan,” he said as he picked up his beer.

“I don’t follow you” Rory shook her head.

“Whenever you and Logan have been together he kind of becomes your go-to person you know, for whatever you need. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing but I expect Lorelai feels a bit pushed out, as she was always that person for you. When Logan is around, you tend not to fall back on your mom so much.”

Rory thought about it for a moment. Maybe Jess was right, maybe Lorelai did feel her positioned was threatened a little by Logan but it still didn’t give her the right to make her feel bad about her choices.

“Ugh, I don’t want to talk about my mom anymore,” Rory shook her head. “Tell me something, what’s been going on with you Jess?”

Jess shrugged. “Nothing much, life has been pretty quiet, just busy with work”

“No dates recently” Rory nudged him with her elbow.

“Not in a while, I’m getting kind of bored with that whole dating scene,” Jess said.

“You just need to meet a nice girl,” Rory said as she sipped her wine.

“Those seem to be few and far between”

“I know a girl!” Rory said all of a sudden.

“Oh no, Rory. I am not being set up on a blind date with some weirdo from your office again” Jess had already suffered through few dates that Rory had set up for him in the past and none of them had ended well.

Rory pulled a face. “She might be from my office but she’s not weird…plus it wouldn’t be a blind date. You’ve already met each other.”

“We have?” Jess said “I’m intrigued”

“My friend Kate” Rory smiled, “I think she would be totally up for going out.”

Jess shook his head “She’s a perfectly nice girl but I don’t need you setting me up on any dates Rory. I mean it” he said.

“Uh you’re such a fun sponge” she pouted and Jess rolled his eyes at her, but he knew it was too late, the wheels in her head were already turning...


	19. About Time

“You nervous?’’ Logan asked as he watched Rory fidgeting.

“Yeah,” Rory said as she smoothed her black shift dress down “Do I look okay? I’m not sure how someone should dress when they’re about to get divorced.”

“You look fine, the perfect divorcee. Is Colin meeting you there?” Logan said as he straightened his tie.

“Yeah” Rory looked at her reflection in the mirror and took a deep breath. She just wished she could fast-forward to the end of the day and skip past the messy divorce part. It had been on her mind a lot recently and all she really wanted to do now was move on. She wanted to be able to fully commit to a relationship with Logan and finally put an end to all the questions but the divorce had been the milestone she needed to reach to enable her to do that. Rory wanted to be completely free.

“Good. Right I am sorry but I’ve got to get off, I have to be in Philadelphia by 12. Call me when you get out?” Logan said as he kissed her on the cheek.

After Logan had filled him in on the situation, Colin had tried to talk to Rory about contesting the grounds of her divorce but she maintained that was not the route she wanted to go down. She was slightly annoyed that Logan had gone behind her back and spoke to his friend about her but underneath it all, she knew that he meant well, his heart was in the right place but she just didn’t want to drag anything out more than she had to. Regardless of the fact that Rory wasn’t contesting, they had still found themselves having to go to court to agree on how to divide their property. Rory had really hoped that they could have avoided involving lawyers but James wanted to stay in the property and was not willing to offer Rory what she thought was fair so on Colin’s advice, they were taking it in front of the Judge.

Rory and James were required to attend court and would be given the opportunity to present evidence in front of the judge before a final ruling was made on the case. She was really glad to have a friend like Colin by her side and she was also massively relieved that whatever happened today in court it was likely that their divorce would be granted that day and this whole chapter of her life would be over. She was so ready to start the next one.

Colin and Rory were just waiting outside the courtroom having a coffee, killing some time before they had to go in when James arrived with this lawyer and headed over to talk to them.

“You know McCrea we could have just had this over and done with by now if your client had just agreed to the deal we set out, which was very generous I might add considering the circumstances.”

Colin laughed “That deal was an insult to my client.”

James’s lawyer shook his head. “She’s not going to win this. She’s at fault, it’s all there in black and white, the judge will rule in my client's favor and you know it. Could have saved everybody a lot of time and money.”

Colin grimaced. He did know that there was a high probability that given the accusation of adultery, the Judge would rule in James’s favor. As James and his lawyer walked away, Rory noticed the look on Colin’s face and pulled him over to one side.

“Colin, is it too late?” she said quietly.

“Too late for what Rory?” Colin looked at her questioningly.

“Too late to contest the divorce?” Rory wanted to wipe the smug look off that lawyers face.

Colin smiled. “It’s never too late,” he said pulling out his notes.

\---

All parties took their place in the courtroom and made their introductions. As James had filed for the divorce he was presented first.

“Your honor, my name is Nick Roberts and I am here representing my client Mr James Attwood. Mr Attwood filed this suit for divorce from his spouse Lorelai Attwood and asks for the divorce on the basis that his wife has been adulterous. He would like it to also be noted that an attempt at reconciliation on his part was made. My client and his wife do not have any children together.” 

Colin stood up in the courtroom. “Your honor, my name is Colin McCrea, I am representing Mrs Lorelai Leigh Attwood in court today. " Lorelai Attwood and James Attwood separated and ceased to live together several months ago. The marriage became insupportable for numerous reasons and there is no expectation of reconciliation.”

“Very well. Am I right in understanding that while Mr Attwood has filed on the grounds of adultery, Mrs Attwood is not contesting this?” Judge Stewart read off his notes.

“Your honor, new information pertaining to the marriage and divorce of Lorelai Attwood and James Attwood has recently come to light and to this end my client has this morning indicated to me that she wishes to contest the divorce as filed by her husband James Attwood”

“On what grounds?” Judge Stewart said without looking up from the notes he was reading.

“On the grounds that her husband was adulterous prior to her relationship with Mr Huntzberger commencing, and Mr Attwood has in fact impregnated his mistress,” Colin said without flinching.

James stood up “She was not my mistress” he shouted at Colin.

“Apologies,” Colin said holding his hands up in defense. “I got it wrong. He impregnated someone he had a one-night stand with. Somehow that’s better?” Colin looked accusingly at James.

“Sit down Mr Attwood” the judge ordered. “Mr Roberts, do you have anything to say on this matter?” he asked looking at James’s lawyer.

Nick Roberts looked at his client. James had not informed his lawyer of those circumstances and it was the first he was hearing of it, not the element of surprise that any lawyer wanted to be on the receiving end of. “May I talk briefly to my client?” he asked?

The judge nodded for him to continue. James and his lawyer had a brief conversation in hushed tones before turning back to the judge.

“Your Honor, my client is very disappointed at his wife’s accusations and would like to see what evidence she has to prove these allegations.”

“Mr McCrea, does your client have any proof of Mr Attwood’s adultery? If not, then this could all be hearsay.” Judge Stewart questioned. 

“No Your Honor, not at present.”

The judge shook his head. “By the same tack, we appear not to have concrete evidence of Mrs Attwood’s supposed adultery. If we cannot conclude this matter satisfactorily within this session, I will be forced to take this to trial. Let me assure you, this will be a costly and nasty business for all those involved and not something you should enter into lightly. I suggest we take a short recess and reconvene in twenty minutes.”

Colin and Rory step outside the courtroom. “How do you think this is going?” Rory asked him nervously.

“Don’t panic Rory, I suspect there are a couple of scenarios that could play out here. Judge Stewart could reschedule and ask us to come back with evidence, he could dismiss the at fault status altogether or he could just rule it favor of James – or us. It’s hard to tell, but he’s a pretty fair guy when it comes down to it. Let’s keep the faith.” Colin said.

Rory looked over to where James was sitting. “I’ll be right back,” she said to Colin. Colin looked up at her and nodded.

\----

“James, can I talk to you”

“Sure,” he said as he stood up and they both went to sit on a bench further away from everyone.

“I don’t know what is going to happen in there when we go back in but don’t you just want this to be over now?” she looked at him as he sat staring straight ahead. 

James turned and looked at her. “Not really, no. I never wanted this. I never married you thinking we would be getting divorced just a few years later.”

“If we don’t resolve this today James we’re going to have to go to trial. It’s going to be ugly and bitter, not to mention it’s going to be dragged through the newspapers. I don’t want that, do you?” Rory pleaded.

“Huh. I guess I wouldn’t come out too well in that would I, now you have your feet well and truly under the Huntzberger table.” James rolled his eyes. 

Rory looked down at her hands “All I want is for us to both be able to move on and be happy” She shrugged.

James laughed and shook his head. “I thought we were happy.”

“Rory” Colin called interrupting the conversation. “We are being called back in…”

\---

“Mr Attwood, Mrs Attwood, do either of you have anything to say before I pass judgment on the matter of your divorce?” James and Rory looked across the courtroom at each other before shaking their heads, so Judge Stewart continued. “Given the circumstances, and as neither parties have any proof of that the alleged adultery occurred, on either side, the divorce will be treated as ‘no fault’ and with that in mind we can now proceed with the distribution of assets”.

Colin smiled at Rory. She was far more likely to get a fair settlement if she wasn’t considered to be at fault, so this was a great result for them

“As you are aware the State of New York’s Equitable Distribution Law recognizes marriage as an economic as well as a social partnership. The law requires that a judge divides property as fairly as possible. I have reviewed the documents and in this case, seeing as the plaintiff and the defendant have similar financial circumstances and income and have contributed equally to the property in question the asset will be split 50/50. If Mr Attwood wishes to remain in the property he will need to obtain a valuation and buy out Mrs Attwood’s share of the property. I believe that this division is fair to both parties.”

Rory looked at Colin and smiled. 

“Is that everything settled?” Judge Stewart asked.

Colin cleared his throat. “No, Your honor, my client would like to request an order to revert back to her maiden name, however, she has stated that she may decide to retain her married name for professional activities.”

“Granted” Judge Stewart noted. “If all parties agree to move forward on this basis, then I believe that this concludes the matter, do you agree?”

All that was left was for the divorce to be approved. Judge Stewart signed the Judgment of Divorce and the Certificate of Dissolution of Marriage was filed.

“Well, that’s it,” Colin said to Rory as James walked out of the court past them, not looking back “How does it feel?”

“Very strange,” Rory said as they stepped out into the street.

\----

Rory sat at her desk and picked up her phone to send Logan a message.

“All done. I'm no longer married. 50/50 split of marital assets. Colin was great. Contested at the last minute, felt the right thing to do. x”

“That’s amazing Ace. Onwards and upwards. Be back later. Meet you at yours? X”

“Sure, see you later x”

“Knock, knock. You okay Rory?” Kate stuck her head around the door. “You’re very quiet in here.”

“Oh, yeah, I am fine. My divorce was finalised today” Rory said.

Kate raised her eyebrows. “Wow, okay that’s pretty big, how do you feel about it all?”

“Weird. Generally okay. A little sad, we had some nice times together. Slightly ashamed” Rory admitted.

“Rory, don't feel ashamed. There’s no stigma to being divorced anymore, about 50 percent of all marriages in the United States will end in divorce or separation. You’re not alone”

“I know, just feels a bit odd right now as I never thought it's something that would happen in my life, you know? I'll be okay though." Rory smiled.

“Hey, we should go out and celebrate tonight. Wait that doesn’t sound right. Commiserate? Shit that doesn’t sound right either. What’s the right thing to say?” Kate laughed.

Rory laughed. “I have absolutely no idea but yes, let's go out tonight. Let's go out and blow off some steam”


	20. Steam

Rory had some really mixed feelings brewing inside of her for the rest of the day. There was this massive feeling of relief that her divorce had now been granted and that she was now a free woman. She knew she would be forever indebted to Colin for getting it pushed through so quickly and smoothly – but she also felt a little sadness at the situation. They’d had some nice times together and it wasn’t that she didn’t love him at all, she just didn’t love him in the way she had always loved Logan. Then, on the other hand, there was the fact that she was feeling more than a little excited about the future again – she felt like she had inadvertently been keeping Logan at arm's length for a while now but it was really only because she wanted to tidy up one relationship before entering into another. Now that barrier had been removed, she felt ready to move forward.

When Rory got home from work that day, she found Logan waiting outside her apartment for her.

“Oh, hey! Have you been waiting here long?” Rory said trying to balance her coffee while searching in her bag for her keys.

“Not too long, I didn’t think there was much point going all the way home to just come back again later,” Logan said as he took the coffee cup out of her hands.

“Thanks. I really should give you a key, then you could let yourself in” Rory said.

“Or, I have an even better idea…maybe you should just come live with me and you could have a key to MY place.” he said as he dragged her closer to him and kissed her gently on the lips.

“Nice try.” she winked as she unlocked the door and they walked into her apartment. She dropped her bags on the floor next to the door.

“So it all went okay in court today then? What made you change your mind about contesting in the end?” Logan asked. He’d been a bit surprised to hear that she had made a U-turn at the last minute but happy for her nonetheless.

“You can thank James’s smug lawyer for that. He basically said that I wouldn’t get anywhere near what I wanted because it was all my fault and I really just wanted to wipe the smile right off his face. Which I did. Well Colin did, he was excellent.” Rory said proudly.

“Well, I am very proud of you Ace. How about I take you out for a slap-up dinner tonight? I know it’s probably been a hard day for you and we can toast your newfound freedom. I’ll even get the good champagne” He winked.

“Ooh, the good champagne? Now I am tempted….” Rory laughed “But sorry, I can’t, I’ve already made plans – I’m going out tonight to enjoy my first night as a single lady.” She smiled.

“Oh really?” Logan said just slightly disappointed. He had really hoped that they could spend the evening together but he wasn’t about to stop her going out having fun at the end of a rubbish day.

“Really!” she nodded.

“I hate to be the one to break it to you Ace, but you do realize that you’re not actually all that single don’t you?” Logan raised an eyebrow.

“Well,” Rory said as she wrapped her arms around his neck, “I think that issue is definitely up for debate Huntzberger. Do you want to take it before the Judge because I am a pro now? As far as we’ve discussed, right now, we’re just dating…” she winked “Just fun remember.”

Logan hadn’t wanted to push Rory into a relationship in the midst of a messy divorce, so he had taken a step back and not pressed the issue at all. In fact, Colin had actually advised against them starting up a full-blown relationship, in case it could be used against her in the divorce as proof of her adultery or lack of commitment to her marriage. They’d been ‘dating’ for months on a casual basis, without putting a name on it, although for all intents and purposes, they were a couple. Anyone with eyes could see that, and rather more telling was the fact that neither of them had dated anyone else during that time.

“How about we deal with that?” Logan said as he placed his hands on her waist. “What do you say, you want to make it official?”

“Logan Huntzberger - are you asking me to be your girl” Rory pretended to swoon.

“You bet I am,” he said sweeping her up for a passionate kiss.

“I’m flattered,” she said as she pulled away. “But do you think maybe we can take a raincheck on it or at least perhaps wait until tomorrow? Because I am newly singly and I have it on good authority that this bar I am going to tonight has this really hot bartender who…”

Logan stopped her talking with a kiss. It was the kind of kiss that started off innocent enough but soon switched up a few gears and before long, he was pushing her down onto the bed and she was giggling, powerless to resist.

“Wow Logan, don’t you think this is a bit soon” she panted as he started to remove her clothes. “I mean, I’ve only been your girlfriend for a less than a minute…”

\------

Later that night Kate and Rory headed out to one of their favorite bars where they were able to just drink, dance and generally let their hair down and have a good time. They’d been out for an hour or two when Rory spotted a familiar face coming through the door.

“Jess!” she squealed and rushed over. “I’m so glad you made it! Come on, I have someone I want you to meet…properly that is” she said as she grabbed Jess by the hand and pulled him towards where she had been stood with her friend.

After Kate had suggested going out that night to mark her divorce, Rory thought that it might be the perfect time for her to start playing matchmaker. She had decided to disregard everything Jess had said about her setting him up with Kate. She knew he might be annoyed with her to start with but she was confident that they would get on well, he’d be thanking her soon enough. Anyhow, she felt justified by her actions because it wasn’t like she had exactly set them up on a date…she was just having a nice night out with her friends, she couldn’t really see how anyone could complain about that.

“Kate” she shouted as she beckoned her friend to come over. “This is my friend Jess. You remember him right? He’s been into the office a few times.” Rory said with a smile.

Kate was not wet behind the ears, not in the slightest. She knew exactly what was going on here, after all, it wasn’t the first time Rory had tried to throw her together with someone but it was normally one of James’s actor friends, with whom she had never really gelled well. Jess was good looking though and she was kind of intrigued about him. She’d only really ever heard good things from Rory so for once, she didn’t want to run in the other direction and she figured maybe she’d give it a try.

“Sure, it’s good to see you again Jess. Look, I was just on my way to the bar, does anyone want anything while I am up there?” she offered.

“Ooh yes. Long Island Ice Tea for me and a beer for Jess” Rory said with a smile.

“Okay, Rory…” Jess turned to her warningly.

“What!” Rory tried to play innocent. “I just wanted my bestest friend to come down and help me celebrate my divorce,” she said as she put her arms around him.

“Really? You expect me to believe that?” he looked at her.

“What, I really am divorced now, I’ve got the certificate and mental scars to prove it and everything.” she winked. “Oh Jess, please just go with it, you’ll like her, I promise.” Rory pleaded and Jess rolled his eyes. He was never able to hold out on her for very long. It was those sparkling blue eyes.

As it turned out, Rory was indeed right, and Jess and Kate did, in fact, hit it off really well, actually, one might say, almost too well. After a while in their company, Rory started to feel a little bit like a spare part, not that really she minded too much. Both of her friends deserved a bit of fun and happiness in their lives, she really didn’t begrudge them a thing but now she was sitting there wishing that Logan were in the bar with them. She pulled out her phone and typed a message.

“Hey, I miss you. How about my boyfriend gets his sexy ass down here right now. There’s a pretty good chance that I might let him take me home tonight? ”

“Well, how can a guy refuse an offer like that x?”

About thirty minutes later Logan arrived and immediately found Rory in the crowded bar. She squealed and ran up to him throwing her arms around his neck. “Yay, you’re here! My boyfriend is here!” she said bouncing up and down.

“Good to see you too Ace. So, tell me, just how drunk are you on a scale of 1 to Finn?” Logan laughed.

“Not so drunk that I am going to fall flat on my face but maybe drunk enough that I might get a little slutty later” she giggled.

Logan raised an eyebrow. “Always something to look forward to Ace.”

“Come on, you need to catch up,” Rory said pulling him over to the bar to buy more drinks.

“Where are your friends?” he asked as he looked around.

“Kate and Jess are over there!” she pointed to a booth where her friends had started to look more than a little cozy now they had been left alone. She looked at Logan conspiringly and tapped the side of her nose. “They’re getting to know each other better…”

“Kate and Jess? Really?” Logan said a little surprised. “This is your doing isn’t it?” he said as he shook his head.

“Well, I decided that perhaps Cupid needed a little helping hand but man, did I feel like a third wheel sitting there with them!” she said as she picked up their drinks. “Let’s leave them to it” Rory winked as she led Logan to another table in the corner of the bar, where they sat casually talking and drinking for a while.

“So how does it feel to be footloose and fancy-free again?” Logan asked as she took a swig of his drink.

“It feels…pretty amazing” she said as she pressed up closer to Logan. “Better than I could have imagined,” she said as she ran her hand up this thigh.

As he felt her touch, Logan could no longer resist giving her a proper kiss and he grasped her hair gently, to bring her head back to allow him access to her neck, which he lightly feathered kisses down. Rory let out a soft moan as his lips came up to meet hers.

“I think we should probably get out of here, don’t you?” he breathed into her ear.

“Your place or mine?” she laughed.

“Definitely mine” he pulled a face and she slapped him playfully.

“Come on, we’d better go tell them two that we’re going,” she said as she dragged Logan over to where Jess and Kate were sitting talking, heads tipped together closely.

“Hey guys,” Rory said as she approached the table.

“Oh, Hi,” Kate said a little self-consciously when she saw Rory standing with Logan. It didn’t matter if he was her best friend’s boyfriend; to her, he was still first and foremost, her boss.

“Logan.” Jess nodded in his direction. “I didn’t know you were here.”

“Ah, Rory called me,” He said as he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Yeah, I just came over to say that we’re leaving now. Jess, you’ll make sure that Kate gets home safely won’t you?” she laughed. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she whispered in Kate’s ear.

“Well Ace, that’s not really fair, that doesn’t leave a lot does it” Logan teased her as they walked away hand in hand.


	21. Work It

Now that her divorce was finally over and done with and Logan and Rory had put themselves out there as now being in an exclusive committed relationship, their colleagues at work were far less interested in gossiping about them. This was pretty fortunate as they had recently been thrown together on a project at work and as people had started to get used to them, it meant a whole lot less staring. Rory was far less self-conscious going about her business which meant all her focus could go on work – exactly the way she liked it.

After the ruling by the judge in court, the apartment that she had once shared with James was now in the process of being sold, much to his discontent. It felt a little sad to Rory, dividing up what was their home, but she was really looking forward to getting her hands on the money from the sale and being able to use it as a down-payment for a new place. The last minute change to her divorce had absolutely been the right thing to do – not only to prove James’s lawyer wrong but as much as she was comfortable in her little rented apartment, Logan was right, it wasn’t really in the best of neighborhoods. Now she was going to get her fair share of equity from the sale, it would make life much easier and she’d be able to find herself a better place to live.

Following the divorce, Mitchum had managed to exercise a little damage limitation and he planted an article in Page Six exposing James’s part in the whole sorry affair. Rory had pretty mixed feelings over this – she didn’t really want to act spitefully or cause unnecessary hurt to anyone, after all, she had loved him once but on the other hand, she was also quite glad to see the story set straight and to get her name out there to show that she wasn’t totally at fault.

Rory had toyed over what name to use professionally as she was very well known in the industry as an Attwood. She really wanted to have a completely new start though, she decided to go back to her Gilmore roots. For the first time in a really long time, she was actually starting to feel like the old Rory Gilmore again so it felt absolutely the right thing to do.

That day Kate and Rory had arranged to go out for some lunch together. There hadn’t really been that much of an opportunity for them to catch up recently and Rory was keen to hear how things were progressing with Jess. It was a really nice day so they sat in a local park and just enjoyed getting out of the stuffy office environment and enjoying the fresh air for a little while.

“How are things going with Jess?” Rory had been really pleased to hear from Jess that he had continued to see Kate after their rather impromptu night out.

Kate smiled. “They’re actually going well, I mean, it’s nothing serious or anything but we’re getting to know each other and it’s nice.”

“He’s a pretty special guy,” Rory said. Jess was one of her best friends and she wanted nothing more than to see him be happy.

“You and Jess, you are very close aren’t you?” Kate asked.

“Yeah, I mean, we’ve known each other a really long time, since I was in high school. He’s one of my closest friends.” Rory smiled.

“You dated though yeah?” Kate said looking at Rory.

“Erm, yeah we did, I was a lot younger then though, I was still at school and well I guess there was this kiss when I was in college but that was really nothing, and then we…” Rory paused, she wasn’t really sure how much more she wanted to say to Kate. “…but I mean we’ve not actually dated, as in being a couple, since high school”.

Kate looked at Rory. “You had something going on when you were at college? I never knew that?”

“Oh, it really wasn’t a big thing. Things were pretty bad between me and Logan at the time and it was just a kiss.” Rory said remembering the time she went to Philadelphia to see Jess while Logan was away. “Anyhow, overall, it didn’t really take me and Jess long to realize that we were way better off as friends.” Rory smiled. “This doesn’t make anything weird does it?”

“Zero weirdness,” Kate said, although underneath she was wondering how weird it would feel if she and Jess did start up a proper relationship. “What about you? How are things with Logan anyhow?”

Rory smiled “Good, they are really good.”

“So it’s serious? I mean, like is this for keeps?”

Rory nodded “I think so, or at least it’s getting that way. Which feels ridiculous as we’ve only been seeing other a few months…but when you know, you know right?”

“Do you think one day you’ll end up getting married?” Kate asked.

“Whoa, slow down! I’ve only just taken one wedding ring off!” Rory joked.

“Well I don’t mean now, but in the future, what would you do if he asked you to marry him again?” Kate tipped her head to the side.

“Well, hypothetically, I don’t think he would ask me. I probably traumatized him for life when I turned him down the first time but suppose he did ask one day…I think I would say yes” Rory wrinkled her nose and smiled.

Kate squealed. “Really?!”

Rory shrugged “Really. But it’s totally hypothetical remember, I can’t see that happening anytime in the near future or it all!”

\---

Rory and Logan managed to work comfortably alongside each other for a few hours that afternoon keeping everything completely professional, though sometimes it was difficult as each found the other rather distracting. Rory, however, was determined to work harder than ever now everyone knew that she and Logan were together. She had started working there long before the Huntzbergers had been involved and so nobody could accuse anyone of nepotism, but she really didn’t want anyone to think she was being treated differently because of who she was or who she was dating. 

Before either of them knew it, it was almost 7 pm and most of the staff had emptied out for the day. As she bent over the desk next to him to look at his computer, Rory leaned in closer to point out something on the screen and their legs touched. There was a brief, almost undetectable pause in the conversation as they both registered the touch. Working alongside one another when they were so massively attracted to each other made it pretty hard to keep their minds on the job - or their hands to themselves. As she moved away and walked over to write something down on the whiteboard, Logan couldn’t help but watch and appreciate just how good Rory looked today in her tight grey shift dress and black sky high heels. The sexual tension between them, after being in close quarters all afternoon was quite palpable now. 

Knowing that they were practically alone, Logan left his work behind, got up from his chair and walked over to her. “I can’t do this anymore,” he said as he put his hands on her waist.

“Do what?” Rory looked at him confused.

“Live another minute without doing this,” he said as he kissed her – it was slow and delicate at first, but the intensity of the kiss increased rapidly. Her lips met his and as their tongues began to explore each other's mouths, his hands slipped down to rest on her ass. As he ran his hands over it, he pulled her against him and she could feel his growing arousal.

'No, wait.' Rory protested as she tried to remove herself from his embrace, 'what if someone comes in?' 

“The door is locked Ace, there’s hardly anyone here anyhow” Logan reasoned.

"We can't do this here." Rory tried so hard to resist but she wanted him so badly. It didn’t help that the sense of danger was turning her on like nothing else. What if they got caught? She bit her lip.

"Oh yes, we can. Plus, I told you I would make this happen" Logan winked, knowing that he could easily break her resolve.

Logan and Rory pushed, pulled and stumbled as they moved, towards the center of the room. He moved all his work stuff to one side on his desk as he picked her up and lifted her to sit on the edge. He stood between her legs as she sat on the desk and leaned into her kiss her passionately. Rory tilted her head back and gasped as Logan kissed and licked her exposed neck.

"We really shouldn't be doing this Logan," she said breathlessly.

“And yet here we are and you’re not pushing me away?” 

Logan met her gaze as he slid his hand under her dress with deliberate slowness and brushed the inside of her thigh with his fingertips, which he used to gently stroke her, moving slowly upwards, his other hand tangled in her hair, gripping the back of her head.

"Oh god Logan," she whispered, "you're making me so wet."

“That was kind of the intention Ace.” he smirked.

Rory sighed as his hand pushed further up under her dress and she parted her to legs to allow him to slowly run a finger along her dampness. She moaned into their kiss as his fingers pushed inside her. Logan lay her back on the desk and pushed her dress up to her waist, revealing her tiny black lace thong which he slid down the length of her long legs and dropped on to the floor. He bowed his head and let his tongue tease her, inside and out for a few moments, making her catch her breath and close her eyes. He enjoyed listening as she gasped in delight.

Logan pulled her back up to meet him and they kissed again, more urgently as Rory began to unbutton his shirt. She kissed his neck and chest as her fingers fumbled with his belt and slid her hands under the waistband of his boxer shorts. Her hand reached over and rested on the obvious bulge in his trousers.

"I'm going to have you. Right here. On my desk," he whispered in her ear as he lay her back down and pushed her legs wide apart 

Rory moaned impatiently. "I can't wait any longer," she gasped, "I want you now. Please... can we?" 

That was all he needed to hear and before either of them came to their senses, he slid into her smoothly and slowly in one stroke. Logan reached for Rory’s hands and stretched them high above her head as he leaned forward to kiss her slowly, both of them losing all control of their lips as he moved slowly inside her. Rory loved the feeling; the chemistry between the two of them had always been undeniable, right from the very start. She bit her lip to keep herself from moaning out loud as she felt herself moving back and forth against the desk roughly. She held on to the edge of the desk for support as her legs trembled and as Logan’s pace increased, she felt her orgasm approaching. The sight and sound of Rory in such a blissful state of sexual arousal in the middle his office very nearly tipped Logan over the edge. It was like a dream come true. 

"Oh god" she whispered fiercely into his ear as she came right there lying on his desk, and he followed with his own release almost immediately.

As they regained their breath and composure, Rory looked up at Logan and they both burst into laughter at the craziness of the situation. Rory, her face flushed, began to put her dress back into place and fixed her hair while Logan fixed his own clothes. She got down off the desk. 

"Mr Huntzberger, that was thoroughly inappropriate!" she giggled.   
“That, Miss Gilmore, was fantastic,” Logan said as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her once again.

\----

A/N: Sorry the unashamed Rogan smut. Sometimes you just need to go there! I just wanted to say a big thank you for all your comments and reviews recently - I may not respond to them all but I read AND appreciate each and every one of them. Some of them have been so lovely recently, they've made me feel all mushy and I don't deserve them! You do however keep me writing - knowing that people are out there, reading my story and wanting to know what happens next is really motivating! Thank you big time guys xxx


	22. Shanghai

Rory was sitting in her office quietly trying to concentrate on some articles that had been submitted to her for review when Logan stopped by to see her.

“Can I come in?” he asked as he opened the door.

“Sure. What’s up?” she asked looking over at him.

“I’ve got some news…” Logan said as he came in and perched on her desk.

Rory looked up at him from where she was sitting. “Well, seeing as we’re in a newsroom, I’d be kind of disappointed if you didn’t” she joked as she leaned back into her chair. “Ugh, Logan, why do I feel like I am really not going to like what is coming?”

“Probably because you’re not going to? There’s no easy way to say this so I’ll just get to it…we’ve been invited out to dinner tonight…with my parents.” Logan grimaced. He’d been dreading having to put Rory and his mother in the same room again but he’d always known it was going to have to happen at some point, especially if they were planning on going the distance.

“What?” Rory wrinkled her nose. “Oh, Logan…”

“The good news is that they are coming into the city so we’ll be on neutral territory and I’m sure my mother will be on her best behavior,” Logan said hopefully, trying to get Rory on side.

Rory pouted. “And there is no way of getting me out of this? They’re your parents, not mine….I shouldn’t have to suffer the humiliation and the crushing blows to my self-esteem, not to mention the severe indigestion that is going to follow from this.”

Logan laughed. “It won’t be that bad and hey hang on, I had to face Lorelai remember. Besides, my dad is fast becoming your number one fan, I think he’d be disappointed if you bailed on him.” Logan smiled.

“Your mom wouldn’t” Rory rolled her eyes. “She’ll only be disappointed if I don’t choke on the amuse-bouche”.

“You play your cards right Ace and I’ll treat you to a little amuse-bouche before we even go out to dinner” Logan wriggled his eyebrows in Rory’s direction making her laugh. “Come on, if there is anyone who can handle my mom, it’s you.”

Rory sighed. “You are going to owe me big time mister. There is no way you can even compare dinner with my mom to dinner with your mom. At least my mom manages to keep some of her thoughts to herself.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” Logan said. “I promise.”

“You’d better!”

\------

“Here goes nothing!” Logan said as he squeezed Rory’s hand.

“Remind me again why we are putting ourselves though this” Rory complained as they walked through the door of the restaurant. There were a million and one places she’d rather be right now. Sitting opposite Shira Huntzberger for dinner was not high on her list of priorities, not that night, not ever.

“Logan, Rory!” Shira said with an overly sweet smile as she greeted her son and his girlfriend.

“Mom, nice to see you. Dad” Logan nodded at his father, who nodded back in acknowledgement.

“Hi,” Rory said pleasantly, plastering on a big smile.

“Sit, sit” Mitchum gestured.

“So, what’s all this about,” Logan asked as they sat down at the table.

“We can’t just see our son and his girlfriend for dinner once in a while?” Shira smiled.

Rory looked at Logan and raised an eyebrow.

“How are things going Rory?” Mitchum asked as he took a swig of his scotch. “You know Shira, Rory is one of our star employees at the New York Times, she’s become pretty indispensable in features.”

Rory stifled a sarcastic laugh as she remembered how the great Mitchum Huntzberger told her she didn’t have what it takes and yet here is was lauding her as one of his best employees.

“How lovely” Shira smiled.

“Things are fine thank you Mr Huntzberger. Busy at the moment, but that’s how I like it.” Rory said as she took a sip of her wine.

“Rory, I heard that you have recently been through a divorce? That must have been terrible for you. Divorces are nasty business aren’t they?”

Rory bit her lip and she felt Logan’s hand squeeze her leg reassuringly under the table. “It was…erm…it was okay” She smiled. “It was a long time coming” she added.

“So it had nothing to do with Logan then?” Shira asked with her smile fixed on her face. Rory couldn’t help but think Shira’s cheeks must be aching something terrible.

“I…” Rory paused, not sure how to answer the question as it kind of felt like she was being tricked into saying the wrong thing. “Logan was a factor, yes, but it was all wrong with James from the start. I guess it just sped the process up a little.”

“I’ve seen a few plays that James has starred in, he’s a very good actor,” Shira said. “And I hear he’s about to become a father? So soon after the end of your marriage, that was quite a surprise. Did you never think about having children yourselves?”

Rory took a deep breath and opened her mouth to answer but Logan stepped in.

“Okay, mom, I think that’s enough,” He said looking at her pointedly, trying to move the conversation on.

“Yes, yes. Quite” Mitchum said.

Rory stood up and Logan looked up at her. “Are you okay?”

“Sure” she smiled “I’m just going to the ladies room. I’ll be back in a moment.”

As soon as Rory left the table, Logan turned to his parents. “What is this?” he demanded.

“Whatever do you mean Logan?” Shira said trying to act innocent.

“Asking us out to dinner and then dragging up Rory’s divorce? That’s low even for you.” Logan spat.

“I just wanted to see what was going on with you and her, seeing as you never come home this was the only way. Logan, that girl is not good enough for you.” Shira said.

Logan pushed his hands through his hair. “Oh, here we go again. “

“She’s just got divorced and your name – our name – has been dragged through the newspapers. It’s not appropriate at all.”

“Dad? You want to chime in here?” Logan looked at his father.

“Hey, don’t involve me. I’m just here for the steak” he smirked at his son but turned to his wife. “Shira, you’re completely overreacting. Rory is a great girl and Logan, well he’s always been good at making a name for himself one way or another. I happen to think she is good for Logan.”

“But…?” Shira looked at her husband.

“Mom, Rory and I are together now so you need to get used to that fact. If I get my way, we’ll be together for a very very long time. That is not going to change.” Logan said as he stood up.

“Where are you going?” Shira looked up at him.

“I’ve had enough for one night. Dad, I’ll see you tomorrow at the office?” Logan looked at his father and he nodded back.

He turned around just as Rory was just walking up behind him. She looked at him confused. “We’re done,” he said taking hold of her hand.

“Thank God” she whispered. “Goodbye Mrs Huntzberger, goodbye Mr Huntzberger. It was lovely to see you, as always,” she said with a smile and a tone that was anything but sincere.

“Lying through your teeth there aren’t you Ace.” Logan laughed

“Too obvious?” Rory wrinkled her nose at him.

“Come on, I’ll take you for a proper dinner now,” he said as he pulled her along by the hand.

“Ah Logan, you do know the way to girl’s heart. Well, a Gilmore girl’s heart at the very least.”

\------

After they’d had dinner at one of Rory’s favorite Mexican restaurants, they headed back to Logan’s apartment and Rory decided to spend the night. The next morning she woke up to find Logan completely wrapped around her body. Not that she was complaining about it, it was pretty much one of her favorite ways to start the day.

“Morning Ace,” he said as he felt her start to stir next to him.

“Morning,” she said turning around to look at him. "Have you just been lying there staring at me?"

"I have," he replied with a smile. "You have no idea how beautiful are, and I just love having you in my bed.”

“Any particular reason?” Rory smiled back.

“Well because we can do this for starters….” He whispered as he nibbled her ear.

“Logan! We need to get up for work” she giggled as he rolled her onto her back. Rory tried to push him away but as soon as he started to kiss her, any protest she had remaining quickly disappeared and she couldn’t help but kiss him back.

Logan’s lips were pressed against hers and his hands were in her hair pulling her closer. Her instincts taking over, she snaked her arms around his neck slowly, her mouth opening slightly allowing her to bite down gently on his bottom lip. Logan moved his hands to her bare hips and pulled her against him. Rory’s breath caught as he kissed and sucked lightly on her neck. A tingle ran down Logan’s spine and straight to his crotch, he could feel himself getting hard, and so could she. Her body was pressed against his as their tongues moved through each other's mouths, and when she felt him get harder she started to slowly grind herself against it. This caused both of them to moan. Bending down as he bit her neck, He worked his way to her breasts, biting and sucking lightly.

"God Logan... Do you have to do this to me?" she said as she writhed under him. “We need to get up…”

"You love it" he laughed.

They continued their make out session, their mouths meeting and exchanging passionate yet intimate kisses before Rory pushed Logan over onto his back and climbed on top of him. It was the most incredible feeling to have her on top of him kissing him and slowly grinding against him. Logan’s arms encircled her, one hand cupping her ass, the other trailing down her back to scratch gently at her spine.

“Tell me what you want” He teased in a soft, seductive tone “I want to hear you say it”

Rory laughed then she dropped her voice to a husky whisper and, knowing how it massively excited him, she fulfilled his request: "I just want to feel you deep inside me Logan."

"Mmm. Have I ever said how much I love you?" Logan asked as he rubbed his hands down the side of her body.

"Not recently” she smiled.

It wasn’t too long before their desires could no long be satisfied by purely kissing. Rory drew up her knees on either side of Logan and he pushed into her, slowly and gently. An involuntary sigh escaped her lips and she pressed her head down into his shoulder. Logan kissed her neck as they both drank in the wave of sensations.

They moved gently together, without any real urgency, exchanging kisses and little touches before building up to a faster pace. Before long Rory was grinding harder on Logan and he moved his hand down to stimulate her further. He could feel her tensing, her breathing quickening and he knew that her release was imminent. Logan was delighting in the moans he was eliciting from Rory. She bent her head down closer to his and she whispered breathily in his ear.

"Oh, I am going to...” Rory panted heavily as she reached the precipice and the sensations rioted through her body as she rode out her pleasure. This was more than enough to tip Logan over the edge himself and he tightly gripped her hips as he thrust faster into her until he reached his own release.

Exhausted, Rory collapsed on top of Logan, him still inside her. She smiled and kissed him tenderly. Neither moved nor made a sound for several minutes until Logan gently rolled her off him. Lying on his side next to her, Logan looked into her eyes and smiled when he saw how they sparkled.

"Good morning baby," he said.

"Good morning," she replied and kissed him once more.

“Mmm,” Logan said as he lay back on the bed. “I want to wake up every day like this.”

Rory laughed “Come on. Let’s go get some breakfast” she said as she pulled him out of bed.

\-------

Logan sat at the counter in his kitchen, thumbing his iPad to read the morning news headlines and check his email as he did most mornings. He watched Rory move around the kitchen as she made the coffee. Watching her so relaxed like that, wearing one of his t-shirts with her hair all mussed up, was one of his favorite things in the world. She was beautiful, it was hard for him to keep his eyes off her. As they sat together and ate their bagels, they made small talk, completely relaxed and comfortable in each other’s company.

“Move in,” Logan said all of a sudden as he looked up at Rory.

“What?” she replied, a little surprised.

“Move in here, with me. We’ve spent too long being apart, I want to do this every day.” Logan smiled.

“But…my apartment, I’ve got it on lease for another four months,” Rory said, starting to protest a little.

“We can sub-let it” he suggested.

“I don’t know Logan, isn’t it a bit soon.”

Logan shrugged. “It’s not like we’ve not lived together before. If it doesn’t work, you’ve still got your apartment to go back to, right? What is there to lose? Just take a chance”

"You're crazy," she said with a shake of her head, but her smile and expression said she was considering it. She paused for a moment before speaking. “Okay”.

“Okay?” Logan said slightly shocked.

“Yeah, okay let's do it “ Rory smiled.

Logan excitedly jumped up and pulled her off her chair. “I love you” he whispered into her ear.

"I love you too," she replied with a happy, contented sigh, laying her head on his chest as she wrapped her arms around him

\------

A/N: Thanks for the feedback yesterday - seems everyone is keen on a little bit of Rogan smut! Well, you got a little bit more today, these two just can't keep their hands off each other...Keep the reviews/comments coming - I've got to get writing the next chapter tonight. I need motivating!


	23. Happy Families

Wrapped in conversation and a little bubble of happiness about moving in together, Rory and Logan easily lost track of time and before they knew it, Frank had brought the car around to collect them and take them both to the office. Rory was freshly showered and made up, wearing a fitted black sleeveless dress and heels. She settled into the back of the car next to Logan and looked over at him with a smile, feeling happier than she had done in years. 

Everything finally felt like it was coming together for them and she was excited about their future together. A couple of months ago Rory would never have imagined that she would have had any kind of future with Logan and yet here there were, talking about living together once again.

Logan felt like he was walking on cloud nine. When he had bumped into Rory at the gala, the most he had hoped for was that they might be able to have a civil conversation and perhaps even become friends one day. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine that they would be back at this point – and so soon. He had no worries though, it was everything he ever wanted, and it felt right. 

When they arrived at the office, they went their separate ways and set about their work in the usual way – Rory discussing articles with the features team and Logan spending most of the morning tucked away in meeting after meeting. As it approached lunchtime, Rory decided to pop upstairs to Logan’s office to see him, she still buzzing after their conversation that morning.

“Knock knock,” she said as she poked her head around the door. “Are you busy?”

“Hey, come in,” he said closing down his laptop. “To what do I owe the honor?”

“Just taking a break over lunch and thought I’d stop by,” Rory said. “I wanted to talk to you actually…”

“Oh?” Logan said.

“Yeah…If you were really serious this morning, about us living together, then I’m going to call the agency this afternoon and see about subletting my apartment.” Rory said, unsure of why she felt a bit nervous. Although he gave her no reason to think anything negative, as the morning had gone on she’d felt that maybe Logan would cool off and change his mind and she was apprehensive to bring it up.

“Of course I am serious. There’s nothing I want more.” He smiled at her. 

“Great” she smiled and relaxed. “Our families are going to freak out you know.”

“Have you made up with your mom yet?” Logan asked. He knew that Rory hated it when things were bad with her mom, she always had, yet they were always both far too stubborn to back down.

Rory shook her head “Things are still weird there. Perhaps I’ll go see her and tell her the news in person. That should make for a fun evening” She rolled her eyes.

“Can’t hurt?”

“Hmm, well, we’ll see. I had better get back to work anyhow, loads to do.” She said as she walked away.

“Hey,” Logan said as he walked up to her pulled her back closer to him “No goodbye kiss? What’s the matter? Scared the boss might find out?” he said as he kissed her.

“I’ll see you later,” she said as she smiled and backed out of the room.

Logan sat back in his chair and watched Rory leave. He was always taken by how incredibly great she looked but she looked particularly hot that day and the knowledge that only a few short hours ago they had been busy enjoying each other's bodies, turned him on no end. His mind drifted back to the recent fun that they’d had in that office, right there on his desk, and their early activities that morning. Now she had agreed to move in with him, he was looking forward to starting the day that way more often.

\--

“So this was all a little unexpected?” Lorelai said to Rory as she sat opposite her in the dining room at the Dragonfly Inn. When Rory had called to meet up that night in Stars Hollow, Lorelai had suggested it, as she knew she had a busy evening of inventory ahead of her.

“I just feel like we’ve not had the chance to talk much recently, you know.”  
Rory said as she bit her lip. She truly hated when things were so awkward between her and her mom. 

“Yeah,” Lorelai said quietly. She knew that things had been weird between the two of them ever since Rory had admitted to seeing Logan again and she’d been wondering about how to break the ice with her daughter so she was glad when Rory had called and said she wanted to come over to see her.

“How’s work?” Lorelai asked breezily.

“Oh you know, works good, busy.” Rory nodded. “Look, in the interests of being completely honest with you, I am kind of here for a reason.”

“Oh?” Lorelai looked up, wondering what the bombshell her daughter was about to drop would entail.

“Yeah…I wanted to tell you that I am moving in with Logan this week.” Rory said quickly.

“What?!” Lorelai looked at Rory open-mouthed.

“Mom,” Rory said as she put her hand up to stop Lorelai before she launched into some sort of wild tirade. “I know you probably have a million and one reasons why this is the worst idea in the world but I really need you to respect my decisions. I know that you’re not Logan’s number one fan but I love him and whatever you think I am doing wrong in my life, he is it for me.”

“But Rory, you’ve only been back together for what, five minutes? What’s the rush?” Lorelai questioned. “Oh my God, are you pregnant?”

Rory rolled her eyes. Of course, that is what her mother would immediately think. She decided to not even dignify the question with an answer. “There’s no rush. We just love each other and we want to be together.” Rory shrugged.

“And that’s enough? It’s too soon” Lorelai said shaking her head “Don’t you think you should give it some time before you shack up with your rebound? I mean, you have literally just got divorced.”

“Logan is not a rebound! You know I wasn’t happy for a long time. I can’t believe you – you would rather have had me stay in an unhappy, unfulfilling marriage than take a risk on something I know could be really great.” Rory ranted. “Logan and I… we were never meant to be apart, I want to be with him.”

“Well okay then” Lorelai shrugged in defeat “I hope you are both very happy together.”

“We are. I just wish you would be happy for us too.” Rory sighed. 

“I want to be happy for you Rory but… you turn into a different person when you’re with him.” Lorelai said not looking her daughter in the eye.

Rory laughed. “Do you know what mom? You are completely right. I DO turn into a different person when I am with Logan and I FEEL like a completely different person around him. I feel more alive, I feel…reckless, in a good way. That’s what he brings out in me - the feeling I can do anything I want to. Logan challenges me and that’s really scary sometimes but I happen to love it.” Rory said as she stood up from the table.

“Rory…” Lorelai looked at her “Don’t go” she shook her head and pleaded with her daughter.

“No mom. I came here to talk to you about this as I thought you deserved to hear it from me. I had stupidly hoped that you could at least find it in you to realize that I am so much happier than I have been in years but you can’t do that can you? I have to go.” Rory said as she picked up her bag and walked out the door.

 

\--

Late that night Rory sat on the floor of her apartment surrounded by boxes. She had felt so annoyed and frustrated after she had left Stars Hollow that she decided to just get on with repacking everything into the packing crates she still hadn’t got rid of from her move. It was a long drive back to New York City, but with nothing but the road and loud music to accompany her, it felt a good opportunity to try and clear her head. She felt like she’d met stalemate with her mother – Rory refused to concede to Lorelai’s view that she was rushing into anything and Lorelai refused to mask her true feelings, even if it was just for the sake of maintaining a happy relationship with her daughter. Rory didn’t really know where they would go to from this but for now, she just planned on keeping her distance for as long as possible.

She was sitting, fighting with finding the end of the sticky parcel tape when there was a knock at the door. She stood up, dusted herself down and went to answer it. When she pulled open the door she was surprised to find Logan standing there.

“Logan! I wasn’t expecting to see you…was I?” she said, as she wondered whether she’d forgotten that they were meeting up.

“Oh no? Were you expecting your other boyfriend perchance?” he said with a raised eyebrow.

“No” Rory shook her head “I only see him Tuesdays and Thursdays”.

Logan leaned in to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek. “I just thought I’d stop by and see how things are going, and by the looks of it, I’ve come by just in time to rescue you from being smothered to death by bubble wrap and brown paper” he joked.

“Ugh, it’s going as well as you might expect. Why do I have so much stuff? You know that programme ‘Hoarders’ – they’ll be doing a new season special on me pretty soon. I feel like I’ve only just unpacked everything as well!” Rory groaned “Are you sure you want me and all my baggage messing up your beautiful apartment?”

“Of course I do,” he said as he pulled her close “though, looking at this, there’s a good chance that we might need to commandeer the apartment next door for your books to live in…”

Rory frowned “I’ve tried having a cull but I just can’t do it. Don’t make me pick favourites. I even made a pile to donate but they sat by the door and they looked at me all sad”

“Books don’t look sad” Logan laughed.

“Mine do” she pouted.

Logan said flopping down onto her sofa. “How did it go with your mom anyhow?” 

“Oh,” Rory said as she flopped down next to him.

“That good, huh?” Logan asked.

“Let’s just say, it wasn’t a particularly pleasant experience” she grimaced.

“So, it went pretty bad then?”

“In a nutshell? Yes. She thinks it’s way too soon for us to be living together. At first, she accused me of being pregnant and then she accused you of being my rebound guy.”

“Hey, I don’t mind being your rebound guy, the benefits and perks have been pretty great so far…” he said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “The other one though…that might be rushing it a bit” he winked.

“So it wouldn’t be a great time for me to tell you that I am pregnant then?” Rory said as she looked at Logan.

“What?” his eyes opened wide. “I mean..are you…how…” he stumbled over his words.

“I just didn’t know how to tell you…” she paused.

“Wow, erm, this is…” Logan said as he pushed his hand through his hair.

Rory laughed “Relax Logan, I’m not pregnant,” she said as she threw her head in a fit of giggles “The look on our face, man do I wish I had taken a photo”.

“You are unbelievable Ace,” he said as he pulled her closer. “I was really starting to sweat it there” He laughed and they snuggled up to each other. 

Rory sighed. “It’s not too soon is it?” 

Logan shrugged. “Maybe it is, I don’t know…do you really care?”

“Nope,” she said as she turned her head to look at him and pressed her lips firmly to his. “I don’t care at all” she yawned “I’m exhausted, today has been a really long day, what do you say we go to bed and I’ll let you massage my aching shoulders.”

“Oh, you really know how to spoil a guy, don’t you? Come on…” he said dragging her up off the sofa. “The things I do for love…”


	24. Mine

Rory had managed to sublet her apartment quickly and she had now officially moved herself into Logan’s apartment. Living together and existing alongside each other once again came pretty easily to them and after a few days, it almost felt like that was the way it had always been. It felt effortless and they both enjoyed waking up with each other every day.

That night they had arranged to go out and meet up with their friends Finn, Colin, Rosemary and Steph to blow off some steam, which was much needed after a turbulent few months. Rory hadn’t really yet managed to spend much time with their old Yale crew so she was really looking forward to the night out. They always had a great time together.

Rory sipped on a glass of wine and enjoyed taking her time getting ready while Logan relaxed on the sofa watching TV while he waited for. She really wanted to make sure that she looked good - she always wanted to make that little bit more of an effort when she went out with Logan, as she wanted to be sure she held his attention. Although she knew she shouldn’t really feel insecure - he certainly never gave her any reason to feel that way - the fact was that he was a really good looking guy, who oozed charisma and commanded any room he was in. Women were constantly throwing themselves at him, but to his credit, he had never looked twice at any of them since being with Rory.

She slipped into the tight red dress she had bought specially for the occasion and added a pair of three-inch heels before she stepped back to take a long look at herself in front of the mirror. She smoothed the tight dress over her slender body. Rory didn’t normally go for something so provocative but tonight she felt like being a little more daring. The heels she was wearing made her already long legs look even longer. She had fixed her hair up in a messy bun to expose her neck, and she applied a little more makeup than usual, matching her dress with a rich red lipstick. 

When she walked out of the bedroom Logan’s jaw dropped. His eyes trailed up her body, all the way from her long legs to meet her sparkling blue eyes. Rory knew in that moment he was mentally undressing her, which was never a bad thing, it always made her feel so desired.

“Wow. You look absolutely incredible” Logan said standing up to walk over to her. “You’re going to turn some heads tonight Ace and who could blame them".

Rory smiled demurely at his response to her appearance and kissed him softly on the cheek. He placed his hand on the small of her back and they walked out of the apartment together.

\---

Logan sat in the booth at the bar with his friends as they watched the girls head out on to the dance floor. Colin and Steph had eventually decided to enter into a committed relationship after years of on/off dating, while Rosemary and Finn continued to dance around each other. Logan suspected that was exactly how they both wanted it.

Finn put his beer bottle down on the table. “Ok, so I know she’s your woman Logan, but can I just say, Rory looks damn sexy in that dress,” he said casting an appreciative eye in her direction. “If she wasn’t with you, I think I’d have a crack at her tonight”

“He’s right,” Colin said agreeing with Finn. “She was always pretty hot at college but she is way hotter these days than I ever remember.”

“You’re a lucky man Logan, a lucky man indeed,” Finn said shaking his head.

Logan smirked and took a swig of his beer. “That I am.” he laughed as he looked over at his girlfriend dancing and giggling.

“So the big question on everyone’s lips - are you going to put a ring on it?” Finn raised an eyebrow at his friend.

“Huh?” Logan looked at him.

“Rory. Are you going to make an honest woman of her…because looking like that, it’s surely only a matter of time someone tries to.”

“Oh,” Logan said catching on. “I don’t know” he shrugged.

“He doesn’t know” Colin laughed and picked up his beer. “Of course you are Logan.”

“What!” Logan said exasperatedly. “She’s only just got divorced and we’ve only been seeing other for a few months.”

Finn pulled a face at his friend. “So what! You’re already living together, aren’t you? That’s pretty serious…You’re telling me the thought hasn’t crossed your mind?”

“Sure, it’s crossed my mind” Logan admitted a little sheepishly “But...” Logan shook his head before continuing “…I doubt that she’d want to rush into anything like that so soon” 

“Only one way to find out,” Colin said tipping his bottle towards Logan in acknowledgement. 

 

\-----

Logan approached Rory as she was dancing with Rosemary and Steph. He slipped up behind her and put his arms around her waist pulling her closer to him. She turned to him and gave him a big smile as he pressed his lips to her exposed neck. 

"I have to hit the bathroom Ace; I'll get us some more drinks on the way back?" he said to her and she nodded in response. He kissed her gently on the lips and made his way through the busy bar to the bathroom but when he came back Logan couldn’t see Rory on the dance floor anyway. Rosemary and Steph were still shaking their thing for all it was worth but Rory seemed to be nowhere in sight. He walked back over to his friends who were still sitting in the booth and had by now replenished their drinks.

“Have you seen Rory anywhere?” Logan asked his friends as he slid back into the booth.

Colin nodded over in the direction of the bar where Rory was now stood with a tall, dark haired man. She was talking rather animatedly, the result, no doubt, of several glasses of wine Logan thought to himself.

“Who the hell is that?” Logan looked at his friends.

Finn smirked. “Ooh, jealous much? Why don’t you go over there and fid out mate! Go mark your territory” he said as he slapped his friend on the back.

Logan shot his friends a look and walked over to where Rory was standing. He slipped his arm protectively around her waist and she turned to look at him with a smile.

"Oh Hey Logan," she said.

“Who is your friend Ace” Logan said with a smile fixed on his face, not taking his eyes off the man stood in front of them.

“Oh, this is Jack Masters. Jack, this is my boyfriend Logan Huntzberger." Rory said by way of introduction.

Logan politely greeted the man in front of him. The guy, who was tall and pretty good looking, seemed to be about in his early thirties and was clearly very fond of Rory. Logan noticed the flash of recognition on Jack’s face when he heard Rory introduce them but he was used to that, it went with having the Huntzberger name.

“How do you two know each other?” Logan asked.

“Oh Jack and I were together on the campaign trail a few years ago” Rory smiled.

“What she actually means is we spent a lot of time in dodgy dive bars getting waste on cheap beer and holed up in sub-standard motels where we normally woke up wearing some for of Mexican food, right?” Jack laughed and looked at Logan.

"Really?" Logan asked as he squeezed Rory closer.

Rory smiled and nodded. “It’s not too far from the truth.” She didn’t really want to say much more as clearly, it was making Logan a little uncomfortable.

“I’m going to get a drink, do you want anything Rory?” Logan asked her.

Rory held up her glass “Oh I’m good, Jack just bought me one”

“Okay then, well I’ll see you in a minute. It was nice to meet you, Jack.” Logan nodded in his direction.

Logan fetched his drink and then went back to the booth and sat back down with his friends. He watched his girlfriend and this guy who was so very obviously into her, talking at the bar. Logan quickly realized that Jack was trying to get closer to Rory and he was flirting outrageously with her. He also noticed that she wasn’t particularly evading his advances, seeming pretty comfortable with him. Logan’s mind immediately started drifting and he wondered whether the two had ever slept together while on the campaign trail, it looked and sounded plausible but he wasn’t sure he really wanted to know the answer.

He really didn’t want to come across like the jealous possessive type but for some reason Rory stirred that up in him, he had always hated the thought of Rory with anyone but him and now he was getting annoyed that Jack seemed to be spending more time looking down his girlfriend’s dress than at her face. He was getting just a bit too comfortable with her. Logan noticed how Jack leaned in very close to Rory, pretending to need to talk over the music. His arm went around her waist as he spoke into her ear and Rory seemed to find everything he said so very funny. Logan tried to look away and concentrate on what his friends were taking about.

After a while, Rory came back to sit in the booth and rest her feet which were paying the price for wearing such high heels. She slid up next to Logan and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. 

“Where’s your friend?” he asked.

“What?” Rory looked at him confused before realizing what was going on. “Oh my god Logan, are you jealous?” she teased.

“No,” he said as he took a drink out of his bottle.

She looked at him. “Really?”

Logan rolled his eyes at her. "Okay, maybe a little, but it’s only because you're so goddam sexy and beautiful. Every guy here thinks that they have a shot with you and that guy was definitely trying it on with you.”

“I doubt that’s true Logan but even it was, you know that I love you. I want to be with you and ONLY you” she said as she put one hand softly on his face and ran the other up his thigh. “If anyone is going to be jealous, then it shouldn’t be you because you are the only one that gets to be with me “ she whispered as she pressed her lips gently on his and brushed them with her tongue, asking for him to grant her access. He obliged and for a moment, they were completely lost in the moment. That was until the catcalls from his friends started up in the background dragging them back to reality.

Logan pulled away and smiled at her. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Yes, you have, numerous times, but I'll never get tired of hearing it" She smiled. “Come on,” she said as she grabbed his hand “Let’s go dance”.

Rory dragged Logan with her and they danced close together. He slowly ran his hands down her sides and she pulled him in closer to her wanting to feel as much of him next to her body as possible. Logan held her tightly and as he gently ground against her and she sensuously rubbed herself back against him. He whispered something suggestive in her ear and she laughed, throwing back her head. Logan caught his hand in the base of her hair and kept her head still as he leaned towards her. Rory’s eyes closed involuntarily at the first touch of his lips and melted into him as he tangled his hand in her hair and they explored each other with their tongues. 

“Jeez, would you just look at them two. If they didn’t have clothes on, I swear, they’d be having sex right there on that dance floor.” Finn said. 

“You’re only jealous Finn” Steph laughed 

“Damn right I am,” Finn said. “Have you seen her tonight? Logan is going to get so lucky later” 

Steph nodded and greed “He is going to get super-laid tonight”.

Finn groaned “Lucky bastard”.

“More of that talk Finn, and I know someone who WON’T be getting lucky later,” Rosemary said shooting him a warning glance.

“You wouldn’t be that heartless” Finn said pretending to be hurt. “Does that mean I am in with a chance?” he whispered in her ear. 

“Maybe” Rosemary smiled.

“Oh, here they come, the lovers.” Steph laughed as Logan and Rory approached the table. “It’s about time you two took a breath, Finn was just about to go and get a hose to cool you guys down”.

Rory brushed her hair back self-consciously and Logan squeezed her around her waist. “What can I say? I have the most beautiful woman on my arm, present company excepted” he winked at the girls.

“Come on people, let's have a toast,” Finn said as he lifted up his glass and Rory and Logan sat down.

The others all followed suit and lifted their glasses.

“What exactly are we toasting here Finn?” Colin asked.

“Us,” he said, “To nights we will never remember, with the friends we will never forget.”

They all laughed and knocked back their drinks. “Cheers!”


	25. Indecent Proposal

A few weeks later Logan found himself sitting in front of Mitchum in the boardroom at the New York Times offices. He wasn’t particularly happy at being there so early on a Monday morning but he had been called into an early meeting where his father had told him he needed to discuss an urgent matter with him. Logan always dreaded these kinds of meetings as they never seemed to end well for him and unfortunately it transpired that this meeting didn’t seem to be the one that was going to buck the trend.

“Seattle?! For how long?” Logan looked at his father incredulously trying to make sense of the huge curveball that had just been slung his way.

Mitchum had just dropped the massive bombshell that he needed Logan to go and head up the team at The Seattle Times, which, like many similar print publications, was suffering from a huge decline in readership. Mitchum had been impressed with the work he had carried out in Chicago and New York and though he would never have believed it a couple of years ago, Logan was a safe pair of hands that he knew he could trust and rely on to turn the business around.

“Three to four months maybe” Mitchum shrugged. “Six months maximum I would have thought,” Mitchum said as he rubbed his chin with his hand.

Logan shook his head. “What? There’s no way I can do that Dad.”

Mitchum looked at his son. “Rory?”

“I can’t just up and leave her. You know that Rory has literally just moved into my apartment…” Logan sighed. 

When he had arrived at the office this morning he had never anticipated that things in his life were about to change so significantly but he had once heard it said that it was a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces. Never had that been truer. It felt like he and Rory were finally getting to a really good place and now this?

“Yes, I do know that, but Rory also knows how this industry works Logan and this comes down to a business need. You’re supportive of her career, I am sure she will be just as supportive of yours.” Mitchum said picking up his coffee.

“There’s nobody else that can go?” Logan asked.

“I’m sorry Logan, I’ve considered all the options but there’s no way around this. I need you to go out there and oversee the changes that are required. We don’t do this, then the publication will fold.” Mitchum said. “Rory will understand I’m sure.”

Logan dragged his hand through his hair and groaned. He pushed his chair back and walked out of the boardroom and bumped straight into Rory.

“Ooh, careful,” she said with a smile which she quickly dropped when she saw the look on Logan’s face. “What’s the matter?” she asked with concern. When Logan had left this morning he had been extremely perky so she was surprised to see this sudden change in him.

“Nothing” Logan shook his head. “I’ve got to go…” he said as he started walking away in the opposite direction.

“Hey! Logan!?” she said as she grabbed hold of his arm and shot him a puzzled look. 

He sighed and forced a smile. “I’m sorry Rory, bad meeting. I’ll talk to you at home okay? I might be late back, I’m going to be stuck in meetings all day.” He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.

Rory watched him walk away and wondered what was going on. For starters, he had called her Rory, which he rarely did unless he was being super serious, and secondly, it really wasn’t like Logan to close down on her or speak to her like that. She paused in the corridor for a moment. She really wanted to go after him but he had made it clear that he didn’t want to talk so she figured she’d leave it until they were at home later that night. She turned around and went back to her office.

\-----

 

Later that evening Logan walked into the apartment and threw his bag down on the floor. Rory looked up from where she was sitting at the kitchen counter with a coffee, she had been waiting for him to return, slightly anxious about what he might have to say, she’d been a little on edge all day. She noted the look on his face, which hadn’t really changed since she had bumped into him outside the boardroom that morning.

“Logan?” she said “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” she asked as she put her coffee mug down on the counter.

“Ugh,” he said as walked over to the wet bar and poured himself a large scotch. Rory watched him as he picked up the glass and knocked it back in one go.

“Logan,” Rory said walking over to him. “What’s the matter? Come on, you’re scaring me?” she said as he placed her hand on his arm.

He turned to look at her. “I have to go to Seattle…” he said.

“Okay…” Rory wondered why he was making so much fuss over a business trip, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d been away for a few days and she was sure it wouldn’t be the last.

“…for at least three months, maybe six, it depends on what happens out there I guess,” he said as he poured himself another drink.

“Six months” Rory gasped in shock. She had imagined a few different scenarios throughout the day but him moving across the country was not one of them. She had definitely not seen that coming. “But…” she stumbled over her words, not really sure what to say.

“I know.” Logan sighed as he sat down. 

“You really have to go?” she said as she sat down next to him. 

He nodded “There doesn’t really seem any other option,” he said as he explained about this conversation with Mitchum that morning.

“When do you have to leave?” she asked.

“Wednesday,” Logan said quietly.

“The day after tomorrow? Really? Wow, that’s quick” Rory said looking down at her hands. “Well, I guess then you have to do what you have to do” she shrugged and Logan took hold of her hand. She didn’t look at him but stared straight ahead.

“Hey, what’s going on in that head of yours?” he said as he squeezed her hand.

“Nothing” she turned and forced a smile. “It’s just…” she bit her lip.

“What?” he asked.

“It’s just…I’m worried about us. We did the long distance thing already and then when it came down to it, you weren’t willing to do that again. You walked away. So what happens now? I mean, are you giving up your apartment? Should I go back to mine…”

“No! I want you here. This is our home.” Logan pulled her close. 

“And us?” Rory looked at him.

“No discussion needed, this is just temporary okay? I’ll come back as often as I can. We can do this. It’s only a few months.” he said as leaned over to kiss her. 

“But, what if the distance is too much this time? I don’t blame you if you want us to take a break for a while…” Rory said as she looked him in the eyes.

“Absolutely not! I love you, Rory, I will do everything to make this work.” Logan said as he pulled her closer to him.

\--- 

Rory slowly opened her eyes as Logan walked into the bedroom humming a tune and carrying two big mugs of coffee.

“You’re in a good mood this morning considering you’re flying to the other side of the world today” she yawned as she sat up. “Anyone would think you were excited about leaving me” she pouted.

“Well, who wouldn’t be happy waking up next to you? That’s enough to give anyone a great start to the day.” Logan said as he leaned over and gave her a morning kiss. “And for the record, I am NOT happy about it. Though it’s hardly the other side of the world, talk about dramatics Ace. I’ll be back in two weeks for a conjugal visit” he winked. 

“It’s nearly 3,000 miles. It’s almost as far as London was” she complained as he pulled her over to him. 

“Almost, but not quite plus there’s no ocean between us this time” he laughed. “Rory, these past months have been some of the best of my life. I thank God every day that we found each other again. You bring so much happiness to my life, being apart from you over the next few months is going to be so hard.” 

Logan hesitated for a moment and reached over to his bedside table and pulled out the velvet ring box that he had stashed there only a week ago, and he opened it. He looked into her sparkling blue eyes and his voice caught in his throat slightly.

“I really hadn’t intended on doing this now, here, but it feels right,” He said, surprised by his own spontaneity. 

Logan had bought the ring with the intention of proposing to her in the future. He hadn’t planned when but he certainly hadn’t planned for it to be so soon either. All he knew was that since he had bought her the stunning Cartier diamond engagement ring, Seattle had come into the mix and more than ever he felt the need to demonstrate to her just how committed he was.

Rory looked at Logan and then to the ring in being held out in front of her and she clamped her hand over her mouth in shock.

“From the moment we met all those years ago, I knew that you were the one but I stupidly let you go. I want you to know…no scratch that, I NEED you to know that this – me and you - it’s everything, you are everything, so Rory Gilmore, will you marry me?” Logan said as he looked her straight in the eye.

Rory was speechless. She had kind of imagined that at some point a proposal would be forthcoming but she hadn’t expected it so soon. She swallowed the lump that had suddenly manifested in her throat and just about managed to retain eye contact with Logan, but they began to fill with tears and she needed to blink them away. All she could do was nod because the words just would not form.

After being silent for what felt like forever Rory jumped up and put her arms around Logan. "Yes!" she cried. "Yes, yes, yes!"

Logan laughed and breathed out a huge sigh of relief as he slipped the ring on her finger. 

“This doesn’t nearly make up for the fact that you’re abandoning me but…” Rory said as she pulled him closer and drew him into the biggest kiss that she had ever given him. 

 

Logan returned the kiss and before she had any time to protest, he started to remove her pyjama top, stopping to kiss each bit of skin as it was revealed. He pushed her top up over her head, and Rory gasped as he bent down and caught one of her nipples between his teeth, her hand sliding into his hair at the back of his neck, holding him tightly against her. Logan’s fingers slowly moved to the waistband of her pyjama pants, and he effortlessly pushed them over her hips as she lifted up automatically to allow him access. He quickly removed his own clothes and moved his way back up her body, stopping to kiss her body as he went.

He finally came to rest between her legs again as he kissed her neck, and his hand moved down her side and then in between their bodies. She gasped and bit her lip as she felt his fingers gently moving between her legs as he dipped into her wetness. He smoothly slid his fingers up, making small circles before finally, he slipped a finger inside her. Logan brought his lips to hers once more, as he withdrew his finger. As his tongue slid against hers, he pressed two fingers inside her, and she whimpered into his mouth. The longer he continued his ministrations, the weaker her knees got, and the more she pressed against him. 

Rory could feel her orgasm building deep in her. Unable to take it any longer, she broke away the kiss and whispered in his ear, "Please, Logan…I need to feel you inside of me. All of you….” 

Logan was only too happy to comply as he felt the same urgency. He slowly, deliberately withdrew his fingers and with a groan, he pressed forward slightly between her legs, where he could feel her warmth inviting him in. He slowly entered her and Rory lay on her back, enjoying all of his attention. She sighed and moaned as she felt him deep inside her. 

"Oh God, you feel so good" Rory whispered.

Logan started to pick up the pace slightly, and Rory wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling him hit inside a little deeper which was just enough to tip her over the edge. He moaned and panted hard as he thrust into her, deep and fast. He knew he could no longer hold out and cried out as he started to come.

Afterwards, they rested for a few minutes with Logan still deep inside her, both exhausted and covered in sweat from their frantic lovemaking. Logan kissed Rory with no less passion than before 

“I’m going to really miss that,” he said.

“That makes two of us,” Rory said as she traced circles on his back with her fingertips.

The two of them lay snuggled up in the bed for a little longer, making the most of their last morning together, happily and excitedly talking about how they were going to spend the rest of their lives together – and neither of them could wait.


	26. Missing You

Later that day Rory went with Logan to the airport to say goodbye. The euphoria after his unexpected proposal that morning had subsided a little and now the sad reality was kicking in. Rory struggled to fall asleep in the bed that they had been sharing for the past few weeks, she already missed him terribly and she really didn’t know how she was going to get through the next few months without being miserable. Having had past experience, they knew that the long distance thing pretty much sucked and they were both going to be living for those weekends when they would be reunited. For now, though, emails, phone calls and video chats were just going to have to suffice.

The next morning she headed into the office. She had picked up a large coffee for herself on the way in and she sat down at her desk and sipped it slowly, taking a moment to enjoy the relative peace and quiet. She looked at the clock, wondering if she could call Logan yet but realized it was still early morning and he was likely to be asleep, there being a three hour time difference between them. She was completely lost in her thoughts when a voice dragged her back out of them.

“What is that!” she heard Kate squeal and she pointed to the ring on Rory’s finger.

Rory smiled up at her friend. “What do you think it is?”

“Oh my God, you two really don’t waste any time?” Kate said as she walked over to the desk and grabbed hold of Rory’s hand. “Wow, that is gorgeous Rory.”

“He proposed yesterday morning before he left for Seattle,” Rory said. “We’ve not told anyone yet so just keep it quiet for a bit.”

“Of course I will, though, that ring is so big and sparkly you’re going to blind someone with it! I think it’s going to be hard for people to miss!”

“Ha, yeah you’re right,” Rory said admiring her ring again for about the twentieth time that day. “It’s really only until we’ve told our parents. Though Mitchum is in Seattle with Logan so he’ll probably tell him then and I’ll tell my mom at some point today I suppose.”

She wasn’t looking forward to the chat with Lorelai. Rory had contemplated going to visit her and do it face to face but the past few times she had done that, it hadn’t ended well so she thought it way safer to do it on the phone.

\----

Logan got up and dressed and headed to the office of the Seattle Times where he was meeting his father. He’d managed a few hours sleep but was still feeling tired, not exactly relishing the task ahead at the newspaper. He’d just got settled into the New York Times and was happy there – of course, that had something to do with Rory being there – but he also loved the work and the city. He was already looking forward to going back to what Mitchum had assured him could be his permanent base. When he arrived at the building, Mitchum was already waiting there for him.

“Logan, nice of you to join me”

Logan rolled his eyes at his father’s passive aggressiveness. Even though they got on better these days than they ever really had, his dad still never passed up on an opportunity to torment him a little.

“All settled in at the hotel?” Mitchum asked. The company had booked Logan a suite for the time he was going to be there.

“As settled as I can be,” Logan said.

“And Rory was okay about you coming?” Mitchum asked.

“She didn’t have a lot of choice did she?” Logan said with a sigh “but yeah, she’s been okay with it. Look, about Rory…” he started to say.

“Yes?”

“You should probably know that I asked her to marry me,” Logan said looking at his father.

“I presume she said yes this time?” Mitchum said with a smile.

“Yes, she said yes.” Logan nodded.

“Well that’s good news, isn’t it? She’s a nice girl. Congratulations” Mitchum said. “Of course, your mother will no doubt have something to say about it…”

“Yeah, I figured.”

“Don’t worry about her, I’ll handle it,” Mitchum said to his son. “She has no reason to complain about anything, Rory comes from a good family and she’s an excellent journalist. Perfect Huntzberger material” he said as he picked up his coffee and started to look at the papers in front of him. “So shall we get to work? The quicker we turn this all around the quicker you can get back to your fiancé…”

\-----

Rory picked up the phone to dial the number and took a deep breath. She listened to the ringing on the other end of the line and almost hung up but just as she was contemplating doing so, her mother answered.

“Hello, The Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai speaking”

“Hi mom, it’s me…”

“Oh, Rory, hi,” Lorelai said caught a little off guard. They hadn’t spoken a lot recently so Rory wasn’t really the person that she had been expecting to hear from. “Everything okay?”

“Erm, yeah, sure.” Rory bit her lip. “Well kind of” she stumbled “I have two pieces of news for you.”

“Okay…” Lorelai said hesitantly.

“Firstly – Logan has moved to Seattle.”

“What? For how long?” Lorelai asked.

“A few months, it’s unclear right now.”

“I’m sorry Rory, are you okay with this?” Lorelai asked and she genuinely meant it.

Lorelai knew she hadn’t been Rory and Logan’s biggest cheerleader since they had got back together but she also knew how hard it had been on Rory when Logan had moved to London. The last thing she wanted was for her daughter to be upset.

“Yeah, I’m okay, it is what it is.” Rory shrugged. “Anyone I also have a second piece of news…”

“It had better not be that you’re moving to Seattle” Lorelai joked.

“No…Logan asked me to marry him and…I said yes.”

“Okay, wow, big news,” Lorelai said.

“Yeah…” Rory paused. “I know that you’re going to think it’s all wrong and it’s too soon but I love him, mom, I really do and it feels so right.”

Lorelai remained silent for a moment.

“Mom…?”

“Rory, it’s your life, all I have ever wanted for your life is for you to be happy and for you to get what you want in life – you deserve to have what you want in your life. If that’s Logan then I’m not going to stand in the way of that. If he makes you happy, then what more could I ask?”

“You mean that?” Rory said, it really hadn’t been the answer she had been expecting from her mom.

“I know I haven’t been the most supportive of people recently but that’s only because I love you and I didn’t want you to get hurt again. I was worried you were throwing away your marriage for a fling with Logan but clearly, I was wrong. I should have known really, you two have never been able to quit each other.”

“Thanks, mom”

“I am happy for you kiddo”

\------

Rory waited until she got back to their apartment to speak to Logan. It had been a long day, full of mixed emotions – she was still ecstatic about the fact she and Logan were engaged but she was also feeling a bit down about the fact that they were going to have to spend so much time apartment.

When Logan called told her all about the work that needed to be done at the Seattle Times and how he was hopeful that he could get everything sorted in the shortest time possible which was music to her ears. She didn’t really mind that he had to go, she was so proud of the person he had become and how he handled his work but her reasons for wanting him home were purely selfish – she missed him!

Logan told her all about Mitchum’s response to their engagement. Logan himself had been surprised that his father had been so relaxed about it all but he was certainly glad to have him on side and Rory had been pleased to hear that Mitchum would manage the situation with Shira. Rory then filled Logan in on her conversation with her mom. He had been pleasantly surprised to discover that Lorelai had seemingly become more far more accepting of them as a couple and he hoped that it would make things a lot easier in the future.

“Ugh, I really do hate this,” Rory said.

“I know, I’m already missing you so much Ace,” Logan said.

Rory sighed and lay back on the bed. “I wish you were here with me right now…”

“What would you do with me if I was there right now?” Logan asked suggestively.

Rory giggled “Wouldn’t you like to know…”

“Are you thinking about it? Are you imagining me there with you?”

“Well now that you’ve brought it up…I am having some naughty thoughts.” Rory bit her lip, knowing where the conversation was going.

“Oh yeah?” Logan said as he unbuttoned his pants.

Rory smiled to herself. It had been a long time since they’d done the phone sex thing, not since he’d been in London. While it had taken her a long time to pluck up the courage and get comfortable with it, it had been pretty much a lifesaver then and helped them both get through those long lonely months. It was kind of exciting to be doing it again years later, just now, she had a whole lot more confidence and didn’t have to resort to text messaging.

“What are you thinking about Ace?” Logan asked.

“Right now I’m thinking about how you would be kissing me. How you would move down my body, kissing and biting down my neck before continuing to my nipples.” Rory said.

“You’re right. If I was there I would be kissing every inch of you, then I would slide my hand over your thigh before pushing two fingers slowly inside of you. I'd love to taste you right now, I would run my tongue over you and tease you with soft little circles.” Logan said “Are you touching yourself right now? Where are your hands?”

“Oh, I'm not telling! Let's just say that they're somewhere very hot and wet... some place you would like to be…” Rory teased.

Logan moaned as she continued.

“I'm very wet right now. I have a finger inside, just teasing me. And my other hand is playing with my breast, I'm gently teasing a nipple in my fingers just like you do.”

“Fuck I'm so hard right now.” Logan groaned. “That’s what you do to me, Rory. I'm thinking about what it would feel like to be buried deep inside you. I’m imagining you on top of me right now, I love looking up at you as you come.”

“God I wish you were here. I think I'm going to come just hearing you say those things.” Rory said breathlessly.

“Good, I want to hear you come…I bet you wish those fingers were mine. Are you close? Logan asked.

“Oh yes, I am so close” She panted, her heart rate quickening “but I really wish you were here inside me…”

“God, me, too,” Logan said as he felt himself getting closer to the edge. He listened to Rory gasp as she found her release and pictured her as he’d seen her many times – mouth open, eyes closed, her body arched. The sound of Rory moaning and the visual image he had just given himself was enough to finish him off completely. It took them both a moment to regain their composure.

Rory giggled. “Well, that was fun, it’s been a long time since we did that. I love you, Logan.”

“And I love you too, Rory. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Now go get some sleep, I’ll talk to you tomorrow night, make sure you’re hot and horny when I call” he laughed.

“Goodnight Logan” Rory laughed and hung up the phone.

\-----

A/N: Sorry for the delay! Heatwave here in the UK at the moment and it's zapping the life out of me, plus I'm spending more time outdoors drinking gin! Hope you like this latest chapter. I wonder what's going to happen over the next few chapters...hmmm. Back soon!


	27. Reunited

Rory was up early on Saturday morning, busying herself and tidying up the apartment when there was knock at the door. She was puzzled as to who it could be, she certainly wasn’t expecting anyone to be stopping by today. She walked over to the door and opened it to see who was there.

“Honor!” Rory said surprised to find Logan’s sister standing on the doorstep.

“Hi, Rory” Honor smiled as she leaned in to plant air kisses on either one of Rory’s cheeks. “Long time no see!”

It had been a really long time since Rory had seen or even spoken to Honor, years in fact, way before her graduation. She had always liked her, even if she had found her friends more than a little hard to handle. Honor had always been kind and welcoming to Rory and she was a lot of fun.

“Come in, come in!” Rory ushered her into the apartment. “What are you doing here?” she smiled.

“I have been sent here by my darling brother. Talking of whom…let me see it, come on” she beckoned for Rory’s hand. “I heard that congratulations were in order, about time too” she winked

Rory held out her left hand for Honor to admire her engagement ring.

“Wow, it’s really beautiful, but Logan always did have great taste. Oh, I’m so pleased for both of you” Honor said as she pulled Rory into a warm hug “You make Logan really happy you know.”

Rory blushed. “Well the feeling is kind of mutual” she smiled. “But that still doesn’t explain why you’re here, I’m sure you didn’t come all this way just to see my engagement ring…”

“No, you’re quite right. I spoke to Logan the other day and he told me that you’ve been a little sad since he went away so he has sent me to cheer you up. I’ve got a whole day planned – we’re going to do some shopping and have some spa treatments, do a little relaxing that sort of thing.”

“Oh that’s really nice Honor, but you don’t need to do that” Rory said shaking her head.

“Nonsense, it’s a treat for me just as much as it is for you! Bergdorfs is calling me and I’ve already made the appointments at Elizabeth Arden, all courtesy of Huntzberger Junior’s American Express Black card, so come on, grab your bag, let's go!”

Rory smiled. A day out with Honor sounded just what she needed so it wasn’t going to take much convincing.

“Okay, just give me a minute,” she said as she walked into the bedroom.

Rory picked up her cell phone to send Logan a message. He was always so thoughtful and considerate. Though she had been putting a brave face on it, the past two weeks without him had felt like a lifetime and he knew that she had been feeling a little down about the situation.

“You sent Honor?!” she typed before she threw her phone back into her bag. As she did she heard it beep immediately with a notification, which surprised her as she figured Logan would still be asleep.

“You sounded like you needed a pick me up Ace. Go enjoy yourself, my treat x “

“Why are you up so early?”

“Early breakfast meeting” Logan replied.

“On a Saturday? All work and no play make Logan a very dull boy. Thanks for this, I love you x” Rory typed back.

“Love you too Ace x”

Rory smiled and picked up her bag before walking back out of the bedroom where Honor was waiting for her.

“Ready to go?” Honor asked as she held open the door for Rory. Rory nodded and followed her out.

\-----

“So, tell me more - are you going to have an engagement party? Have you had any thoughts on the wedding yet?” Honor asked Rory as they reclined in the hot tub at the spa.

“Erm no, not really” Rory wrinkled her nose. “We’ve not had much time to talk about it really seeing as Logan had to leave for Seattle that day and…”

Honor sat up and looked at Rory when she heard some hesitation in her voice.

“What’s the matter?” Honor asked tentatively.

Rory shook her head. “Oh I don’t know, it’s just, well I kind of feel silly making a big fuss about it, that’s all.”

“Why? This is really exciting! A Huntzberger wedding is a very special occasion” Honor smiled.

“It is and I am really excited” Rory nodded in agreement “but you know, this is the second time around for me. I already did the engagement party and I already did the big glitzy wedding. You must have seen the pictures?”

“I did, you looked gorgeous Rory,” Honor said. She remembered back to seeing Rory’s wedding photos in the newspaper. Rory had looked amazing and it hadn’t been a good time for Logan at all. While they hadn’t been in contact for some time, he’d still found it pretty hard to deal with and his immediate response had been to disappear on some crazy trip with Colin and Finn, like always.

“So, I just feel like, seeing as I’ve already been married once, it shouldn’t be this big thing,” Rory said quietly.

“But you do want to marry Logan, right?” Honor asked carefully.

“Absolutely there’s not a doubt in my mind.” Rory smiled “I feel so incredibly lucky to have this second chance.”

Honor smiled. “Phew. Well, personally I really think you should just do what you want to do and to hell with other people and what they think. If you want a big wedding then have that, but equally, you could do small and tasteful and it would be absolutely beautiful. Just remember, that this might be the second time around for you, but it’s the first time for Logan and I know my brother. He’s going to want to show you off and shout it from the rooftops that he’s finally got his girl.”

“I never really thought about that” Rory chewed on her cheek. She suddenly felt very selfish that all she had been thinking about was her own insecurities and not that this was Logan’s first – and hopefully last - time getting married.

“Don’t pass up the opportunity to have an amazing day together because you’re worried about what people might think. You and Logan, you’re one of life’s great love stories – like Romeo and Juliet, Anthony and Cleopatra or erm…Ross and Rachel!” Honor laughed.

“Haha, I guess you’re right.” Rory shrugged. “Actually, no you’re absolutely right! I am excited to be marrying Logan and I don’t care who knows it!”

“That’s my girl!” Honor said happily.

\-----

“I told you already, I wasn’t interested,” Rory said as she threw open the door to their apartment. She had just been relaxing on the sofa with a trashy magazine after her chilled afternoon at the spa.

“Well that’s no way to greet your fiancé is it?” Logan laughed as Rory screamed and practically wrapped her whole body around him in one swift move.

“Logan!” she squealed excitedly as she covered him in kisses. “I can’t believe you’re here. Oh, I’ve really missed you” she said not letting go of him.

“How much Ace?” he asked her as he made his way into their apartment.

“Why don’t you let me show you?” Rory said as she pulled him closer to her and they kissed, hard, for a few minutes. Still attached to each other they headed towards the sofa.

Rory broke away from the kiss and her hands moved to unbutton Logan’s pants, eliciting a groan from him. He had really missed her touch. He could feel her slide his pants and boxers down before pushing him gently back on to the sofa. She knelt down in front of him before looking up at him and gently running the tongue up and down his hard shaft, making him moan louder. All Logan could think about was how incredible her mouth felt on him. He had always enjoyed her technique in this department and the fact that was really into it was always a massive turn on for him. Rory was fully away of just how much Logan loved it, and while it hadn’t always been one of her favorite things to do with other boyfriends, she enjoyed a different level of intimacy with Logan and it was something she liked doing for him. She took him fully into her mouth and began to gently suck on him slowly, licking and teasing with her tongue.

“Oh God Rory, that feels so good” he panted as he held on to the edge of the sofa. Rory began to suck harder and faster and Logan let out a sigh of pleasure, she could tell that he was close. He thrust his hips up slowly and tangled his hands in her hair.

“Rory…if you don’t…I’m going to…” Logan was no longer able to form coherent sentences. He came with a groan and spilled into her. He pulled her up against his body. “"That was...nothing short of incredible. If I knew the welcome back would be so good, I would have gone away sooner” he said as he rested his head back against the sofa and she snuggled into his chest.

They lay like that, cuddled up on the sofa together for a little while, just enjoying the feeling of being back in each other’s arms.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back this weekend?” Rory said as Logan played with her hair.

“I wanted to surprise you Ace, you know I can’t help myself” he smiled. “How was your day with Honor?”

“It was really good, just what I needed and so lovely to spend some time catching up with her. I’ve missed her.” Rory said truthfully.

“She was really excited when I told her we were engaged,” Logan said. “I suppose she was pestering you about wedding plans?” he smirked.

“A little…actually…about that” Rory said as she sat up slowly.

Logan looked at her. “Uh-oh. That sounds serious, don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts already.” he joked.

“No, nothing like that. It’s just…well, we were talking about what type of wedding we might have and I wondered where you sat with all that?” Rory questioned.

“What do you mean?” Logan looked at her a little confused.

“Well, I mean, were you thinking that we would have some big society wedding, or would it just be a small private thing…” she trailed off.

“In all honesty? I’ve not really thought about it that much but I guess I figured it would end up being hijacked by my parents and it would turn into this huge event but if you’re not comfortable with a big wedding, we don’t have to do that.” He said as he sensed her discomfort. “What is it Ace?”

“I feel a bit awkward but this is my second marriage” Rory bit her lip “I’m just a little worried about how it’s going to look if I have a big showy wedding”

Logan pulled her back close to him. “I don’t care if it’s your fifth marriage! I don’t care what anyone has to say about it – I want you to have whatever you want, okay? All I am concerned about is making you my wife, I don’t care if we do it 20ft under the ocean wearing a wetsuit as long as it happens.”

“Okay,” she smiled and nodded. “But for the record…nobody needs to see my ass squeezed into a wetsuit…”

“I think I’ll be the judge of that Ace!” Logan said as he patted her on the butt.

Logan got up and went off to have a shower while Rory fixed them some snacks and a drink. As she moved around the kitchen she could hear him in the other room on a call. After a few moments, he came back into the room and rolled his eyes at her. "I've got some bad news"

"Oh?" Rory asked with some concern "What's the matter?"

"Mom and Dad are coming into the city tonight to see us." He grimaced. “They want to take us out to dinner to celebrate…”

Rory groaned. “Oh well, now won’t that be just splendid,” she said as she pasted a fake smile on her face.

“Sorry Ace,” Logan said as he kissed the top of her head “I tried to get us out of it, but well, you know my parents”

“Unfortunately I do” she sighed “Don’t worry about it, we’ll make the best of it, it will be fine. Perhaps I’ll schedule root canal surgery for the same day, you know just to take the edge off.” Rory gave Logan a genuine smile.

“Sounds painful” Logan laughed.

“Not as painful as dinner with your parents will be.” she said as Logan wrapped his arms around her.

As it turned out the celebratory dinner with the Huntzbergers wasn’t nearly as bad as she had expected, in fact, it was quite enjoyable at times. Mitchum, as he had promised, had managed to wind Shira in a little and for the most part, while she clearly wasn’t over the moon about the union, she was graceful and polite enough asking lots of questions about their plans – though they had no answers for her as yet.

Rory and Logan spent all of Sunday together, doing nothing but relaxing and talking and it was pretty much a perfect day – that was of course until the evening rolled around and it was time for Logan to head back to Seattle. Rory didn’t think it would matter how many times they were separated, it was never going to get easier.

“I can’t believe you have to leave so soon,” Rory said, “Are you sure you don’t want me to come to the airport with you?”

“No, it’s fine no need to drag yourself all the way out there,” Logan said as he wrapped his arms around her.

“But I want to say goodbye to you” she pouted.

“And we can say goodbye here” he laughed as he pressed his lips against hers and drew her into a passionate kiss. She opened her mouth slightly and allowed it to deepen.

“I really do hate this you know” she complained as he pulled away.

“I’ll be home soon Ace”.


	28. Unrest

The weeks that followed Logan’s visit, passed by relatively quickly visit and before they knew it he’d been working in Seattle for almost four months with a couple of short hops back to the East coast in between. Although they were still missing each other a lot, the visits back home to New York had started to dwindle and as it was, Logan and Rory had now not seen each other in over five weeks. They were both working with hectic schedules and that meant that communication had been reduced to emails and the quick calls they could manage during the week. 

Rory sat at her desk twiddling her hair in her fingers, trying ever so hard to concentrate on the screen in front of her. She felt like these days her whole life revolved around waiting to hear from Logan and it was hard to maintain her focus sometimes. As soon as she got up in the morning she would check and recheck her emails and messages and wait for him to call. She was doing just that when her cell phone rang.

“Hey,” she said, happily into the receiver. 

It had been a few days since she’d heard Logan’s voice, they’d been playing an excellent game of Voicemail Ping-Pong so she was glad that they had finally been able to catch up with each other.

“Hey, Ace. How are you?” Logan asked.

“I’m good” She replied.

“Are you sure? Your voice sounds a little weird. Tired?” he asked her. 

“I’m fine Logan, just really long hours at the moment and I’ve been missing you that’s all.” Rory sighed.

“I miss you too Rory. I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

Rory smiled. “I can’t wait until you’re home at the weekend, it feels like it’s been ages since we’ve been together…”

Logan paused. “Yeah, about that…”

“Oh God Logan” Rory said as she dropped her head into her hand “Please don’t tell me you’re not coming back this weekend.”

“I’m sorry Ace, things are really ramping up here, I need to be in the office this weekend.”

Rory shook her head silently.

“Rory?” Logan said her name when she didn’t respond.

“Fine, whatever.” Rory shrugged even though he couldn’t see her.

“Come on, don’t be like that. You know, you could always come out here, I could see if my Dad’s jet is free and…” he started to say.

“Logan I can’t” Rory interrupted him “I have a family thing this weekend and I was kind of hoping that you’d be able to come.”

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

“It’s fine. Look, Logan, I’m really busy here, I’ve got to go. I’ll speak to you later, okay?”

 

Rory ended the call, frustrated and annoyed. She had been really looking forward to Logan coming back this weekend and them actually managing to spend some time together but once again, he had cancelled on her, just like he had done the previous two times he was meant to come back to New York. She was slowly becoming fed up of coming second.

 

\---

A little while later there was a tap at her office door. She looked up to see Kate leaning against the doorframe.

“Lunch?” Kate asked.

Keen for a distraction from her thoughts Rory gladly jumped at the chance of getting out of the office for a bit and having a chat with her friend. Kate was always a willing sounding board when Rory needed an analysis of her relationships.

“It’s just so hard, you know,” Rory said as she sat opposite Kate in a bar around the corner. 

When Kate had seen the look on Rory’s face she had decided what they really needed was a liquid lunch and so they popped around the corner to one of their favorite lunchtime haunts for a quick glass of wine.

“I really wasn’t expecting it to be like this.” Rory sighed.

“And he’s cancelled this weekend?” Kate asked.

“Yep,” Rory said, “Which will make it what, nearly six weeks since we’ve seen each other.”

“What are you going to do?” 

“What can I do? I just have to lump it but that doesn’t mean I have to like it” she said taking a swig of her wine before pulling a face “Ugh, that wine is bad” she said putting her glass back down.

Kate looked at her friend “So are you still going to Stars Hollow this weekend for Luke’s birthday?”

“Yes, and I really wish you would come with? Can’t you get out of whatever you’re doing?”

“My sisters baby shower? Oh, how I wish I could get out of that…” Kate laughed. “Jess will be there though, you’ll have fun.”

Kate and Jess had still been seeing each other regularly. It wasn’t what you’d call a serious relationship but they were enjoying each other’s company and it definitely had potential to go the distance. Rory had big plans to quiz Jess about it at the weekend as she hadn’t really seen much of him recently either.

\--

Logan settled back into his seat on the airplane. It had been so long since he had seen Rory and she had sounded so disappointed on the call the other day, so he had made extra effort to get a few things tidied up and shuffled around so that he could come back and spent at least a day or two with her. The long-distance nature of their relationship over the past few months had added a fair amount of stress, more than either of them had thought it would, things were far from perfect and it felt like they were pulling apart from each other.

The stewardess made her way over to Logan and offered him a drink. Logan wasn’t particularly arrogant but he could tell that the stewardess was checking him out. In another life, he knew he could have easily talked her into meeting him in the bathroom. Once upon a time he would have enjoyed the look she was giving him but now, the only person he was interested in was Rory.

He couldn’t wait to get back to her now – he was really missing her touch. He was craving the taste of her and needed to hear the sound of her voice in his ear. All he could think about was how much he had been missing being with her.

 

\--- 

“UGH!” Rory squealed as she and Jess both downed the shots that her mom had put in front of her. The tequila burned the back of her throat and she felt like the fumes were coming out of her nostrils. She picked up the lemon and as she sucked it, she winced at its bitterness. 

“Mom, where on earth did you get that tequila? It’s gross. It tastes like something Miss Patty has knocked up in her kitchen.” Rory said as she wiped her mouth. “So Jess, I want to hear more about you and Kate, she was very coy the other day at lunch…”

“There’s nothing to tell,” Jess said with a wry smile.

“Oh come on!” Rory begged.

“A gentleman never kisses and tells.” He said as he got up and walked to sit on the sofa.

“You calling yourself a gentleman Mariano?” Rory said as she followed him “Come on I have ways of making you talk” she said giggling as she moved in to tickle him. Jess wrapped his arms around her to stop her and they toppled over laughing. 

Lorelai shook her head at them as she went to see who had just knocked at the door. “You guys never grow up…” she said as she threw open the door. “Logan! This is a surprise. Erm, come in” she gestured to him.

“Thanks” Logan walked into the living room and his eye landed on Rory and Jess who couldn’t have been physically closer together if they had tried, laughing and playfighting on the sofa “Rory?”

Rory’s head pinged up at hearing her name and the sound of his voice. “Logan!” she said as she jumped up off the sofa “What are you…I mean, I thought you said you couldn’t come this weekend. I wasn’t expecting you” she said as she brushed down her hair which had got a little messed up.

“Clearly,” he said, not quite looking her in the eye. “I almost feel bad for interrupting” 

“Logan…what’s the matter?” Rory said.

Lorelai sensed that by the tone of their voices a discussion was about to be had and she didn’t really want to bear witness to that. “I think we’ll just go make some coffee….Luke!” she gestured with her head for him to follow her into the kitchen.

“Logan?” Rory repeated.

“What’s the matter? I’ve just flown 3,000 miles across the country, followed by a two-hour drive to come and see my fiancé because I thought she was upset with me and yet I get here and find that I’ve just interrupted some kind of foreplay.”

“That’s not fair!” Rory gasped. 

“Hey man, nothing is going on,” Jess said as he stood up.

“Oh but I bet you’d like it to wouldn’t you?” Logan said as she shot him a look.

“You what?” Jess looked at Logan.

“Why don’t you just get it over and done with and just sleep with her already” Logan spat.

“Logan! Where is this coming from?” Rory said exasperatedly.

“Don’t worry man, been there done that” Jess bit back.

Rory closed her eyes and silently cursed Jess. She had never told Logan about the fact that she’d slept with Jess – he’d always been a bit jealous and protective around him and Rory really valued her friendship with Jess. The last thing she had wanted was for Logan to have any other reason to want them to stay apart so she had just kept that snippet of information to herself.

“What?!” Logan said as he took a step back.

Rory looked at Jess with anger as Logan walked outside of the house.

“Logan…”

“How come you never told me you slept with Jess?” Logan asked her accusingly. 

“It..it..wasn’t relevant. It was a long time ago” Rory said quietly “Just after we broke up.”

“Oh, that’s real nice. And how long after we broke up did you wait before you jumped into bed with him?” Logan spat.

Rory bit her lip “Long enough”. She really didn’t want to lie to Logan but she wasn’t entirely sure that he really needed to hear the truth, besides she was pretty sure that he hadn’t led a life of celibacy after their break up.

“How long.” He repeated.

“A couple of weeks,” Rory said, trying to remain suitably vague. 

It had actually been two weeks. Two weeks after Logan had walked out of her life and shattered her heart into tiny pieces she had turned to her old friend Jess for friendship and comfort and a drunken night at a bar had led to something more. They had only slept together once – neither of them regretted it at the time but they both knew that they were better off as friends and had vowed not to cross that line again.

“It meant nothing Logan, and it’s such a long time ago, it was once. Please don’t make a big thing about this” She said as she put her hand on his arm.

“If it meant nothing, why didn’t you tell me?” Logan questioned before taking a deep breath. “Look, I’m just going to go.”

“What? No!” Rory looked at him in shock. “Where are you going? You’ve come all this way and you’ve only just got here!”

“New York, Hartford, back to Seattle…I don’t know right now but I just don’t want to be here that’s all.” Logan said matter of factly.

“Well, I’ll come with you!” Rory exclaimed, “I just need two minutes, I’ll go get my stuff….” She said as she turned to walk back up the steps to the house.

“No. Don’t”

Logan’s words stopped her in her tracks. Tears formed in her eyes. She didn’t turn around to face him immediately; she really didn’t want him to see her cry. She blinked back a few tears before taking a deep breath to compose herself. 

“Why?” she whispered.

“Just stay here” he sighed “You came to celebrate Luke’s birthday. Don’t let this ruin that for everyone.”

Rory looked at Logan. She knew better than to try and fight him on something once his mind was made up. 

“Okay,” she nodded. “I’ll speak to you tomorrow?” she asked tentatively as she walked back down the porch steps to kiss him goodbye.

“Yeah, sure” Logan fixed on a smile. “Tomorrow.” He said as he got into his car and pulled away from the house leaving Rory standing on the path watching until the taillights faded in the distance.


	29. Up In The Air

Rory stood still on the path and watched as Logan’s car disappeared far into the distance. She took a long deep breath before she headed back inside her mom’s house.

“Everything okay?” Lorelai asked. “Where’s Logan?” she said looking slightly puzzled.

“He’s gone,” Rory said as she walked into the living room and looked towards Jess with a face like thunder.

“Rory, I’m sorry” Jess started to say as he put his hands up in defense. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble…”

“I am SO mad at you right now!” she screamed, “Of course you were causing trouble!”

“The guy was being a jerk!” Jess shouted.

“Will someone please tell me what is going on!” Lorelai shouted louder.

Rory ignoring her mother continued ranting at Jess. “We agreed that what happened was between us and it would stay between us – and for good reason. Look what you’ve done Jess” she said as she threw her hands up in the air. “He’s gone off and I don’t know where!”

“Kid, what happened between you…” Lorelai said as she looked from Rory to Jess.

“Nothing,” Jess said quickly and firmly.

“Oh it’s too late for that!” Rory scoffed “Mom, a few years ago, Jess and I…well we kind of slept together and for some unknown reason Jess just decided that it was a great time to inform Logan of that fact” she said throwing herself down on the sofa.

“You slept with Jess?” Lorelai said in surprise.

“Who slept with Jess?” Luke wandered in to see what the fuss was about.

“Rory did,” Lorelai said.

“What?! Jess….” Luke said warningly.

“Do you see Jess? SEE? This is why we didn’t tell anyone” Rory rolled her eyes.

“Okay, you really need to calm down a bit Rory” Lorelai said as she tried to assess the situation. “So, Jess told Logan and I’m guessing that Logan had no idea that you…had a history…and is upset about it…where is he now?”

“I have no idea. I wanted to go with him but he wouldn’t let me” Rory said sadly.

Lorelai looked at her daughter and shrugged. “Well, in which case there’s not a lot more that can be done tonight is there? So why don’t we just all calm down a bit and eat dinner? Let's try and forget about this all for now.”

“I can’t, I need to find Logan…” Rory started to protest.

“We’ve already established you’re not going to be able to do that tonight. He obviously wants to be on his own right now. Just let him be.” Lorelai said.

\-----

The next morning when Rory awoke, the first thing she did was check her cell phone for messages. She was bitterly disappointed to discover that there was nothing from Logan and she sank back onto the pillows, frustrated to the core. After a few minutes of lying there she decided that she really needed to take matters into her own hands and so she picked up her phone to call him. She was annoyed when it went straight to voicemail but she left him a short message asking him to call her back but it was late afternoon when she finally heard from him.

“Hi,” she said eagerly as she picked up the call “Where are you?”

“Hey, I’m in New York,” Logan said.

“Okay, well I’ll leave soon and…” Rory stopped as Logan interrupted her.

“I’m going to be heading back to Seattle in a few hours.”

“Oh” Rory said, trying to mask her disappointment. She really hadn’t wanted him to go back to Seattle when she hadn’t yet spent any time with him. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it back into the city before then. I guess if I leave now I might get there in time…”

“It’s okay,” Logan said.

“So…” Rory paused.

“So…?” Logan questioned.

Rory bit her lip. “Where do we go from here?” she said quietly.

“What do you mean?” Logan asked her.

“I mean, you’re going back to Seattle and you’re still mad at me. When am I going to see you again?” she asked.

Logan paused for a brief moment before he answered her question “I’m not really sure.”

Rory sighed. She had so many thoughts whirring around her head but she didn’t really know what to say and so for a moment, they both sat in silence on the call. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she spoke.

“Maybe this long distance thing just isn't working for us Logan,” she said quietly.

Logan inhaled sharply. “What?”

“We hardly talk or even see each other anymore. You’re mad at me about Jess, about something that happened years ago. We’re engaged but we’ve not even started to talk about the wedding…do you want more reasons?” Rory took a deep breath and swallowed hard as she could feel the tears forming.

“Rory, this is just a fight, it will blow over and we’ll move on…” Logan tried to appease her.

“This is about more than just Jess, we both know it. Perhaps this distance is just a step too far for us.” She said quietly.

“Don’t do this Rory,” Logan said firmly.

“Do what?”

“Run when things get too difficult,” he said frustratedly.

“I’m not running Logan, but I’m not happy with the way things are between us right now, are you happy? Can you honestly tell me that this…our relationship is how you want it to be?” she asked.

Logan sighed. “Look, Rory, I don’t have time to do this right now. I have to get to the airport for my flight. Let's talk about this later okay?”

Rory ended the call and leaned her head back against the chair. She couldn’t help but think everything had turned into a big old mess. Things had been going so well for them until Logan moved to Seattle. All she really wanted was to have that back again.

\-----

Logan settled back in his seat to get himself comfortable for the flight back to Seattle. He was so frustrated at the situation that they now found themselves in but he was more frustrated about the fact that he’d not seen Rory or straightened everything out. He knew that was, for the most part, his own fault and that annoyed the hell out of him. He hated the stubborn streak that he had inherited from his father.

He had been slightly blindsided by Rory telling him that things weren’t working and that she wasn’t happy. He didn’t really know what to do with that. Was she telling him she wanted to end their relationship? Logan ran his hand through his hair. That was definitely not something he wanted. He was confident that they could iron out their issues and get back to where they were originally and a big part of that was that he needed to get back to Manhattan. Things had been going pretty well at the Seattle Times and were definitely more settled – he resolved to speak to Mitchum about it as soon as he could. He wanted to go home to his fiancé.

\-----

Rory sat at her desk at work the next day. Logan hadn’t called her that night but she figured he would have got back to Seattle quite late and it was probably unreasonable for her to have expected him to call and inevitably get into another heated discussion after a long flight. She was so very tired that day that she’d almost contemplated taking a nap at her desk over lunch. The past few days she had been feeling absolutely exhausted, the emotion and the stress of their situation were obviously taking their toll on her – she was already counting down the minutes until she could crawl into bed later that day.

“Miss Gilmore, there is someone here to see you” the secretary Stacey said as she popped her head in the door “A Jess Mariano?”

“Oh? Please send him in,” she said, surprised that Jess would show up at her office when they were still barely talking. Nevertheless, she knew she wouldn’t stay mad at Jess for long.

Jess casually walked into the room “I just wanted to see if you’ve calmed down yet…”

Rory stood up and walked over to shut the door behind him, gesturing for him to take a seat.

“I’m a bit calmer, yes.” She said taking her own seat at her desk.

“Look, Rory, I’m sorry for what I said, telling Logan like that…”

Rory looked at Jess and shook her head. “You know, I guess it’s not really your fault. I probably should have told him at some point. Things are just a little…off at the moment and I think he probably overreacted because of that.”

“Off?” Jess questioned.

“Just a bit weird you know? As in – things are really not going so well right now.” She sighed “Not going well at all”

Jess looked at her with concern. “It’s not terminal though right? You guys will sort it all out?”

“I don’t really know” Rory admitted. “We ended our call a little abruptly yesterday and I guess I thought he was going to call me but I’ve not heard anything from him yet.” She shrugged.

“He’ll be in touch,” Jess said. “You love him right?”

Rory smiled weakly “I absolutely do, more than I can tell you.”

“And you still want to marry him?” Jess asked.

Rory nodded. “I want to be with him more than anything. For better or for worse. Sure, of course, knowing us it will probably be for worse” she laughed “but I knew that the day I met him.”

“Then fix it with him,” Jess said simply.

“I don’t know how” she shrugged sadly.

Jess and Rory were interrupted by a sudden knock at her office door.

“Oh, Jess! I wasn’t expecting to see you here, I was just stopping by to see if Rory wanted to nip out and get lunch” Kate said cheerily.

Jess and Rory locked eyes, both of them realizing in that moment that neither of them had actually been honest with Kate about their history either but now really was not the time to get into that.

“And I was just stopping by to see if you wanted to go for lunch but thought I’d pop in and say hi to Rory first,” Jess said with a smile.

“Well isn’t that nice! How about we could all together right, Rory?” Kate asked.

“Sure, I could definitely eat right now,” Rory said rubbing her grumbling tummy.

“Why not, let's go then,” Jess said standing up.

\-----

“So how was Luke’s birthday meal?” Kate asked as they all sat around the table.

“It was…good” Rory hesitated.

Kate picked up on her friend's tone “Uh-oh, what happened?”

“Well…” Rory started, wondering how much of the story she should let Kate in on, “Logan turned up in the end, totally out of the blue, but we ended up having a bit of a fight and well things are just kind of strange between us right now.”

“Oh no!” Kate groaned.

“Yeah, it all got a bit messy and we’ve not really had chance to talk properly yet…He’s gone back to Seattle. I’m sure everything will get straightened out though.” Rory smiled as the waitress brought over their order.

They all chatted casually while they ate, Rory absentmindedly picking through her chicken salad, her mind somewhere else altogether.

“Are you okay Rory?” Jess asked, noticing that she wasn’t really present in the room.

“Huh?” she looked up at him.

“You kind of spaced out there a bit and you’ve not eaten very much.” He gestured at her plate.

“Yeah, I’m fine… actually no I am not. I’m just feeling a bit funny. “ Rory said holding her head as she felt a little dizzy.

“You do look a bit pale Rory, let’s get you some water,” Kate said calling the waitress over to bring some water. “Here” Kate handed her a glass.

Rory took a sip “Thanks…I think I’m just going to go to the bathroom for a minute” she said as she stood up, a little wobbly on her feet.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Kate asked her friend with concern.

“No I’m fine,” Rory said with a weak smile. “I’ll be okay, honestly.”

Jess and Kate looked at each other as Rory walked away. When she hadn’t returned for over five minutes, Kate decided that it was definitely time to go and check on her.

“Rory?” she said as she called out into the bathroom “Are you in here?”

“Yes,” Rory said weakly as she pulled open the cubicle door.

“Are you okay?” Kate gasped as she looked at Rory’s teary eyes. She’d heard someone violently retching as she entered the ladies room and it now became apparent that it was, in fact, Rory who was being sick.

“No” Rory shook her head, looking a little shell-shocked, “I think I'm pregnant.”


	30. Que Sera, Sera

“What?!” Kate looked at Rory with wide eyes. “I mean, really? I take it this was not exactly planned? Have you had any other symptoms?”

Rory shook her head “No, it was definitely not planned.” She thought back. She had come off the pill a few months ago but they had been pretty careful, she was sure of it. “I’ve been feeling a little bit off-color recently and things have been tasting weird and I’m so so tired but I just dismissed it…but it all kind of adds up I guess.”

“I didn’t think you’d even seen Logan in weeks – let alone find time to have sex. When was your last period?” Kate cocked her head as she looked at her friend.

“I’m not entirely sure, about six or seven weeks ago I think” Rory wrinkled her nose. “I’ve always been slightly irregular so I just put it down to that and feeling a bit stressed recently.” She said as she leaned back against the counter in the bathroom. “Oh God, what a time to get knocked up, we’re barely even talking at the moment and yesterday I told Logan that I didn’t think it was working…” she trailed off.

“You said what?!” Kate exclaimed. “Rory!”

“Well, it’s not! Ugh, what a mess” Rory said holding her head in her hands.

“Okay, don’t panic. You know what we need to do don’t you?” Kate smiled at her “First before you head into a tailspin, you need to do a test to confirm either way.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I mean, I might not even be pregnant right?” Rory said. “Come on, let's go back out there. Just…please don’t let on to Jess yet. I just want to keep it quiet until I know for sure and God, if Logan ever found out that Jess knew before him…” she shook head.

“Mom’s the word” Kate winked as they exited the bathroom.

\------

Logan sat back at his desk at the Seattle Times. He hadn’t yet spoken to Rory as first he wanted to talk to his dad. Hearing Rory say that things weren’t working between them had been a little bit of a shock to the system. Sure, he wasn’t stupid, things were strained at the moment and they’d hardly spent any time together over the past few weeks but he hadn’t expected her to be prepared to give up on them so easily. He knew that, at the end of the day, the only person who could put this all straight was him. He picked up the phone to call his father.

“Mitchum Huntzberger,” the gruff voice said when the call was answered.

“Dad…it’s me.”

“Logan, how are you son.”

“Good. Well, no, not good” Logan paused.

“Oh? Anything I can help with?” Mitchem asked.

This was a first Logan thought. Mitchum Huntzberger offering to help his son? “Well, yes, there is Dad. I need to get back to New York now. Things with Rory are…” he paused, not entirely sure what things with Rory were or how to express that to his father.

“I understand,” Mitchum said firmly.

“You do?” Logan said in surprise.

“Logan, I am not are cold and heartless as you would like to make out” Mitchum laughed. “You’ve done an excellent job in Seattle, but I agree, it’s time to come back. Plus your mother won’t stop rattling on about this wedding.”

“Mom is? I thought she’d be doing everything to avoid discussing that?” Logan rolled his eyes.

“Oh, you know your mother Logan. She may not approve but she has a rep to protect…” Mitchum laughed.

“Well tell her to hold those horses,” Logan said, “Because as it stands I’m not sure there will be a wedding”.

“Don’t be ridiculous Logan. That girl loves you, anyone can see that she’d have to love you to put up with half of your bullshit” he laughed. “With hindsight, I guess we could have transferred Rory out there with you, something to think about in the future maybe.”

“Thanks, Dad”

“Right. Just don’t go packing your knapsack immediately – there are still some things I need you tidy up but I can’t see why that would take longer than a couple of weeks.”

Logan ended up the call, pleasantly surprised at how the exchange with his father had gone. A couple more weeks in Seattle he could deal with, then he would be back home with this girl. Sure, they still had some kinks to iron out but he was confident once they were back in the same city, it would all come together just fine.

\-----

After work, Rory and Kate headed back to her apartment, armed with a pregnancy test that Kate had insisted they buy. Rory was pretty sure she knew what it was going to say but she just wasn’t ready to see it for definite. Kate bundled Rory into the bathroom and thrust the kit at her.

“You!” she pointed bossily “Go pee!”

Rory rolled her eyes but she did as she was told and a few moments later she came out of the bathroom with the pregnancy test in her hand.

“Well? What does it say?” Kate said expectantly.

“Nothing yet, we have to wait a few minutes,” Rory said as she put it face down on the coffee table and sat down on the sofa nervously.

“Okay.” Kate nodded. “How do you feel about it? I mean, if that test is positive…”

“I don’t know. I mean, I guess if the circumstances were a little different I would be happy.” Rory smiled. “It’s just a bit of a shock, you know?”

“And if it’s negative?” Kate asked.

“Que sera.” Rory shrugged.

“Moment of truth,” Kate said looking at Rory. “Do you want me to look?”

Rory nodded to her friend and so Kate picked up the pregnancy test and turned it over to read the result. “It’s positive” she smiled. “Congratulations.”

Rory gasped and clamped her hand over her mouth as she started to cry. Positive she thought. Deep down she knew that would be the result but having it confirmed was something else. When she was married to James and they had talked about having children she could never actually see it happening, and with good reason, she never wanted to have his baby. Now, here she was, staring at a positive pregnancy test and her stomach was doing flips – she was actually pregnant, and with Logan’s baby.

“Oh, Rory! Don’t cry – wait are those happy tears or sad tears?” she questioned as she slipped her arm around Rory’s shoulder.

“I’m happy,” Rory said nodding her head and wiping away her tears. “I just hope Logan is too.”

\------

Rory felt exhausted from all the day's activities and excitement and so she got into bed with a movie for an early night. While she had every intention to lose herself in the movie, she’d struggled to keep her mind on it as her mind was whirring and she was too busy thinking about the baby and her relationship with Logan.

Things had been so awkward with them recently, she really didn’t know where they stood right now – how was he going to react to the news that she was pregnant after she had told him she didn’t think things were working for them. She wanted to believe that he would be happy but she had this nagging fear that perhaps he would agree with her – perhaps he too thought that was all too much. Logan was never one to thrive on all the drama. Perhaps he’d already made his mind up.

She had just settled down when the phone rang. She leaned over and looked at the caller ID. Logan.

“Hey,” she said as she answered the call.

“Hey. You okay?” he asked. “Were you asleep?”

“No, I wasn’t asleep, just in bed. I’m fine.” Rory said quietly.

“I’m sorry I’ve not called you before now, I had a few things I needed to deal with today.”

“That’s fine, I’ve had a busy day myself,” Rory said.

“Okay. Well, I spoke to my dad today and I should be moving back to New York very soon.”

Rory sat up in bed a little. “How soon?”

“Within the next couple of weeks. I can’t say for definite as it depends on a few things coming together here but should be no more than two weeks.” Logan said.

“That’s really great news Logan”

“Yeah…you were right, we can’t continue like we have. I know that things have been shit but I really want us to work. I need it to.” Logan said “And more than anything, I really want to marry you Ace”

Rory smiled. “I want that too”

“So do you think we can hang on in there for just another few weeks? I know we still really need to talk about things but...” Logan stopped as Rory interrupted him.

“I do, but Logan…I…” Rory paused and bit hard on her lip. She desperately wanted to tell him about being pregnant but it just didn’t seem right to do it over the phone. She wanted to be with him when she told him. Rory was, however, feeling extremely happy that he wanted to come back to her and make things work – without even knowing that she was pregnant. It had been one of the things she was worried about – she was scared that would be the only reason they were together.

“Yeah?” Logan asked.

“Nothing, it’s not important,” she said.

Logan could tell there was something on Rory’s mind but he didn’t want to push her too hard. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m totally sure. I’m just so happy you’re going to be coming home” She smiled.

“So we’re good?” he asked tentatively. Logan knew that coming home was what he needed to do and he was hoping that she would be happy about it, and it sounded like she was. He just hoped that it would help him and Rory fix their fragmented relationship.

“We’re more than good Logan. Just hurry home okay?” she said as she absentmindedly ran her hand gently over her tummy.

After they ended the call, Rory fiddled with the phone in her hand for a few minutes. She knew what she wanted to do but she was feeling nervous. Eventually, she caved and dialled the number. It rang for a few moments before a voice answered.

“Hello?”

“Erm, hi, Mr Huntzberger? It’s Rory…Gilmore” she rolled her eyes at her own nervousness. She was pretty sure that Mitchum only knew one Rory.

“Rory? How many times…call me Mitchum” he shook his head smiling to himself. “Is everything okay?” he asked. Rory was the last person he had expected to hear from that night.

“Yes, everything is fine, well kind of, but I erm, well I hate to do this but I really need to ask you a favour.” She said nervously.

“Oh? What is it?” Mitchum said intrigued. It was very unlike Rory to come to him and ask him for anything, even in a professional capacity.

“Can you get me to Seattle?” she asked “Tonight?”

Mitchum raised an eyebrow. “Tonight? What’s the urgency?”

“I really need to see Logan, it’s kind of important…” Rory said tentatively.

“It must be if you need to go straightaway?” he asked.

Rory took a deep breath, she hadn’t really wanted to go there but she needed to get to Logan tonight. She wanted to see him. “Mitchum…I kind of feel a bit awkward about telling you this but well, today, after I saw my lunch in reverse, I found out that I am pregnant.”

“Pregnant?” Mitchum said in surprise.

“Yeah…but please don’t tell anyone else, not until I’ve told Logan. It’s something I really need to tell him face to face, and I don’t want to wait. Now you know why I really want to go to him. I wouldn’t normally ask but things are…” she stopped, not sure how much she should say to her fiancé's father.

“Yeah, Logan mentioned it,” Mitchum said with a hint of kindness in his voice which very much surprised Rory.

“He did?” Rory felt her resolve crumble a little and she was getting a little teary thinking that Logan was clearly worried about their relationship enough to talk to his dad about them.

Mitchum could hear Rory’s voice cracking and as much as he liked the girl, he wasn’t overly comfortable with the thought of having to console her down the phone. “Leave it with me, Rory, I’ll sort it,” he said authoritatively. Call the car service to take you to the airport. The jet will be ready for you in about an hour.”

“Thank you, Mitchum, I really appreciate it,” Rory said, and she really did. She had never expected to be calling Logan’s father and asking for a favour but she was pretty glad that she had.

“No problem. Oh and Rory?” Mitchum said.

“Yes?” she said.

“Congratulations, it’s really great news. I think Logan will be thrilled.”

\-------


	31. All That Matters

By the time that Rory had landed in Seattle on the Huntzberger jet, it was 1 am and by the time she had got herself to the hotel where Logan had been staying it was nearer 2 am. She had been so exhausted recently but luckily the excitement and the adrenalin of the whole situation seemed to be pushing her through. She was just hoping and praying that Logan would be happy to see her. 

Mitchum had told her what room he was staying in so she after she managed to sweet-talk the night receptionist, she made her way up to his room. She stood outside the door for a moment and took a deep breath to compose herself before she finally found the courage to knock. Rory waited a moment, she knew that it being the early hours of the morning, Logan would most likely be asleep right now so she gave him a chance to wake up before she knocked again. Nervously, she chewed on her lip wondering what she was going to do if he didn’t answer. Before she really had time to ponder over that too much the door swung open and a sleepy Logan was stood in front of her in a pair of pyjama bottoms. It didn’t matter how much time she spent with him, she could never get enough and still got a little flush at the sight of him not wearing many clothes, something that wasn’t helped by her hormones right now. 

“Rory?” he said as he rubbed his eyes as if he didn’t quite believe that she was there, standing outside his hotel room door. “What are you doing here? What time is it?” he said looking confused.

“It’s about 2 am and I would have thought it should be plainly obvious that I’ve come to see you…” she smiled.

“Okay…” he said, a little blearily, not quite sure if he was awake or dreaming.

Rory stood looking at him. “I was kind of hoping that I could come in…unless you’re going to make me stand in the hotel corridor to have this conversation with you?”

“Oh! God, of course. Come in.” Logan said as he walked over to the sofa, starting to wake up a little more. Rory followed him in, closing the door behind her and put her overnight bag down on the floor.

“Nice room,” she said as she looked around at the place Logan had been calling home for the past few months.

Logan yawned and stretched. “While I am obviously always very happy to see you Ace – and I really am – it’s kind of a little unusual for you to fly 3,000 miles and turn up in the middle of the night without good reason so you want to tell me what’s going on?” he asked.

Rory inhaled deeply and gingerly sat down next to Logan on the sofa. “I came because, well I really needed to talk to you about something and I know we could have done this earlier, but it’s not really something I thought I could say over the phone to you…” She knew she was rambling but she was feeling really nervous.

Logan looked at her. He’d known in their phone call earlier that day that something wasn’t quite right with Rory. He could tell that there had been more that she had wanted to say to him. Now he was starting to feel a bit on edge. Had she come all this way to end things with him? Had she come to the conclusion that they just wouldn’t be able to work things out or get back to where they once were?

“Rory…” he started to say.

“No, Logan, please let me talk, or else I may never get this out” she smiled at him nervously. “God, I have no idea why this is so hard…” she said as she reached out and took Logan’s hand in hers. “The thing is, the past few weeks have been really difficult. I’ve been tired and emotional and I think that I have probably taken that out on you a lot which hasn’t really been fair but today I realized why that might be.”

Logan shook his head and looked down, convinced that Rory was about to deliver him some really bad news.

“Logan…I don’t really know how else to say this so I am just going to say it…” she paused. “I’m pregnant”

“What?” Logan’s head snapped up to meet Rory’s sparkling blue eyes. “I mean…you’re…Oh my God, really?!” he asked, trying to compute what she had just said.

She nodded as tears began to form in her eyes and Rory clamped her hand over her mouth to prevent a sob from escaping. 

“Wow. I…just….wow. I really don’t know what to say” Logan said as he pushed his hand through his hair. “This is pretty incredible news Ace,” he said as he pulled her in close and wrapped his arms around her. “Why are you crying?”

“Because I’ve been all worked up about telling you, I was worried today that things weren’t going well for us…and…” 

“Ace, this is completely amazing. I mean…you’re okay with this right? You’re happy about it?” he looked at her to gauge her reaction.

Rory nodded and smiled as she wiped her tears away. “Yes, I am happy, I’m really happy.”

“Good. Oh wow.” Logan said as he shook his head. “Of all the things I thought you were going to say, that was not one of them” he laughed.

“So you’re happy about this?” Rory looked at Logan.

“More than you’ll ever know,” he said as he placed his hands on her waist and pulled her in close to him. 

Logan bent his head down towards her and she held her breath slightly as his lips brushed lightly against hers before he moved them to kiss lightly along her neck, his slow gentle kisses sending shivers through her entire body. Rory squeezed her arms tightly around his neck as his mouth moved back up along her neck and connected with her lips once more, in a slow and passionate kiss, his tongue slowly slipping in between her lips. 

Logan slipped a hand under the back of her shirt and ran his fingers lightly up her lower back. Rory felt like she was just melting in his arms, it felt like it had been such a long time since they had been together like that and she was enjoying the feeling of having his hands on her body.

Logan pulled away and looked into her eyes. “I have really missed you.”

Rory smiled “I know, I missed you too.”

Logan’s slid his hands downwards along her body and grabbed the edge of her shirt, pulling it quickly over her head. He threw it to the ground and continued to kiss down her body, stopping for the briefest of moments as he reached the top of her breasts before reaching around to unclasp the fastening of her bra. He pulled it away and Rory audibly gasped as he lightly sucked and bit her now exposed nipples. Rory could feel herself getting more and more turned on and could feel the wetness forming between her legs. She pulled Logan closer to her, and moaned quietly, throwing her head back, as he continued his assault on her body.

Logan moved his hands down to her waist again and started to undo her jeans. He slid one hand inside them, placing his hand over the top of her panties, where he could feel her heat. He slid his other hand into her jeans and slowly slid them down her legs to her ankles so she could step out of them. Standing in front of him, only in her panties, Rory decided it was time to even things up a little. She ran her fingers up and down his spine before lowering them to rest on his waistband where she gently tugged at them. Logan stepped out of his pyjama pants and pulled her close to him so she could feel the hardness pressed between them.

“Shall we move this to the bedroom?” Logan whispered as he lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom. He lay her down on the bed, moving along her body, kissing her all the time as he passed down her breasts and paused at her stomach where he looked up at her and smiled before laying a more gentle kiss before continuing downwards.

He moved further down and he looped his fingers into the waist of her panties before slowly pulling them down and removing them completely. She could feel his hot breath and she couldn’t help but lift her hips to meet his lips. She moved her hands down into his hair. His tongue met her wetness and circled as he moved a finger to slowly caress her entrance before sliding it inside. Rory could feel her orgasm building as Logan moved his tongue against her time and again. She couldn’t help but moan and thrust while grasping his hair tightly as her body started to shake against him and she cried out. It had been so long since they had been together and every sense felt heightened.

Logan pulled himself up so he was alongside her and kissed her passionately. She could taste herself on his lips and even though she had just experienced a mind blowing orgasm, she still desired him so much. She moved her hands along his body and pushed his boxers down. There was no hesitation as he slipped inside her easily, his hands caressing her as he moved slowly in and out of her. She thrust her hips forward to meet him and placed her hands on his back, pulling him closer to her each time.

They continued to make love and Logan looked into her eyes with a look that told her everything she needed to know – he wanted her and he needed her – and in that moment all her doubts and fears were swept away. He started to quicken a little and Rory could feel him getting closer with every thrust. She whispered into this ear to tell him just how amazing it felt to have him inside of her and he called out her name as he found his release.

After a few moments, he pulled out of her and lay down next to her on the bed. Rory lay her head on his chest and intertwined her legs with his, letting out a satisfied sigh as he leaned in and kissed her forehead before they drifted off to a blissful sleep.

The next morning the both woke up, still wrapped in each other's arms. 

“Morning Ace,” he said as she slowly opened his eyes. 

“Morning,” she said with a shy smile.

“I had to pinch myself just then to make sure this was real – it wasn’t all a dream was it?” Logan smiled.

Rory shook her head. “Definitely not a dream,” she said. “The morning sickness that is guaranteed to hit me when I get out of bed will be testament to that.”

“So we really are having a baby.” he whispered as he placed his hand gently on her tummy and stroked her gently.

“We really are” she smiled.

“Ace…how did you even get here last night?” Logan asked as it dawned on him that he hadn’t even asked her last night in all the excitement and emotion. 

“I took advantage of being engaged to a Huntzberger…” she rolled her eyes and smiled.

Logan looked at her questioningly. “How exactly…?”

“Your dad got me the jet” She shrugged.

“My dad!” Logan looked at her slightly shocked.

“I didn’t know what else to do! I needed to come and see you and it was the only way I could think of making it happen. I told him I was pregnant” Rory admitted hoping that Logan wouldn’t mind that she had shared the news with his father before she had told him.

“Nice way to play on his conscience,” Logan smirked. “Very manipulative, I like it. What did he think of the news?”

“He was really happy for us” Rory smiled.

“Well, wonders will never cease” Logan laughed “Perhaps the old man is mellowing with age.”

Rory sighed contentedly “I really can’t wait for you to come home now Logan.”

“Me too,” Logan said as he kissed the top of her head. “Look, Rory, I wanted to say…I’m sorry for taking off like that I overreacted.”

Rory shook her head “Don’t worry about it, it wasn’t entirely your fault, I should have been more honest. Anyway, it’s forgotten. It doesn’t seem important anymore” 

“No you’re right,” he said squeezing her and kissing her on the top of the head. “This is all that matters - me, you and our baby.”


	32. A New Dawn

Logan stood in front of the full-length mirror, getting himself ready for work while Rory lay in the bed watching him. She hadn’t really realized how much she had missed this – this relaxed kind of morning that they had spent together at their Manhattan apartment.

“When are you planning to go back to New York?” Logan asked as he fixed his tie into place.

“Later today,” she said sadly “It’ just a flying visit I am afraid. I really have to get back to work and the jet is still here so…”

“Really? So soon?” Logan frowned “Have you’ve at least got time for a lunch date before you go?” he asked hopefully.

“Sure,” she said letting out a yawn. “That would be a nice”

“Still tired?” he looked at her with concern. He might have only found out less than twelve hours ago that he was going to be a father but he was already feeling massively protective. He knew that the travelling plus the hormones were going to take their toll on her and he was worried about this.

“A little” she admitted.

“Just stay in bed Ace, get yourself few more hours sleep. It was a pretty late night and don’t forget, you’re growing a whole other person now” he smiled warmly as he leaned in to kiss her goodbye. “I’ll send a car to collect you at 1 pm”

Rory lay back in the bed after Logan left and thought over the night before. She couldn’t have been happier about how everything had gone, it all seemed to be coming back together again and she was so glad that she had decided to take a leap of faith and hop on that plane to Seattle. It was absolutely what she had needed to do.

Logan walked the short distance to work, his mind completely consumed by Rory. It was still sinking in that they were going to have a baby. His whole life had changed in the moment that she had uttered those words and he knew that nothing else mattered from that point forward.

\-------

Rory fell back to sleep relatively easily. Logan’s hotel bed was certainly very comfortable, so comfortable that she found it difficult to drag herself out of there when it was time to get herself up. She showered and got herself ready to go and meet Logan. Right on time, the car arrived downstairs and whisked her off to a restaurant just around the corner from the Seattle Times where Logan was already waiting for her.

“Did you manage some more sleep?” he asked as she took a seat at the table.

“I did, I really needed that.”

“I’ve already ordered for us,” Logan said and Rory smiled at him. While many people would no doubt be more than irritated by someone else ordering their food for them, Logan was actually very good at it and he knew exactly what Rory liked. It was just one of their little foibles that she happened to love.

“So you’re really okay about all of this? Being pregnant?” Logan asked as he sat back and drank from his glass of water.

“Well, I’m not going to lie to you, it’s was a bit of a shock, to be honest, and it’s not exactly like I would have planned for it to happen…” she paused “and I guess…”

“Yes?” Logan looked at her expectantly wondering what she wanted to say.

“I guess, I would have liked us to have at least been married before a baby came along, I mean it’s not like it’s the end of the world, it just would have been nice” she smiled a little.

“Then what’s stopping us Ace – there’s still plenty of time,” Logan said.

“What?” Rory looked at him.

“We could always elope?” he said with a smile.

Rory raised an eyebrow. “Our families would kill us.”

Logan nodded in agreement. “That’s probably true,” he said, as the sat thinking for a moment. “So, let's just get it arranged then - we can do it quickly, money definitely talks” he shrugged.

“What? I don’t think we can I mean, if were going to do it then I’d definitely want to do it before I got too big” she grimaced.

“Rory, you’re always going to look beautiful and I suspect that you’re only going to get more beautiful,” he said as he leaned over to kiss her.

“That’s nice Logan but you’re kind of duty bound to think that. Everyone else will be thinking ‘beached whale’ when they see me in a few months” she rolled her eyes as Loan laughed at her. “I don’t know, all that planning and organazing…I’m just not sure I’ve got the time or the energy right now to pull it off. I am pretty exhausted. I know people said that you get crazy tired in the first trimester but this is just ridiculous.”

Logan thought for a moment. “You know…” he said something before stopping again quickly and shaking his head “No, it’s a crazy idea.”

Rory looked at him intrigued. “No…what were you going to say?”

“Well…I was thinking…I know someone who would love to take control of all the arrangements, I mean if you wanted her to – my mom.”

“You really think so?” Rory said slightly surprised. She knew that Shira was not her biggest fan so she doubted that she would want to help plan her wedding. “Yeah, but this is me, Rory Gilmore, pariah and social outcast extraordinaire” She joked.

“My mother lives for stuff like this, it won’t matter at all once she feels like she is the center of Hartford’s attention for planning the wedding of the year” he winked. “Plus, she’s a pro at this, and she can pull some pretty big strings.”

\------

When Rory landed back at the airport in New York, she called the Huntzberger’s car service and decided to head straight to Stars Hollow to she her mom. As she settled back into the comfy limo with an ice cold glass of sparkling water she had a moment of genuine appreciation for the perks that came with being a Huntzberger, even if she wasn’t officially one yet.

Now she had told Logan the news, she felt the need to share the information with her mom. She directed the car straight to The Dragonfly Inn where she knew her mother would be working that night.

“Rory! What a surprise!” Lorelai said as she saw Rory walk into the inn. “Everything okay? I wasn’t expecting you was I?”

Lorelai looked at her daughter – she looked different, there was something she just couldn’t put her finger on. She certainly looked happier and more relaxed than she’d seen her in a while but she also looked pretty tired.

“No. Everything is fine” Rory nodded. “Better than fine in fact.”

“Are you sure, because you look exhausted!” Lorelai said with concern.

“Is that a polite way of telling me I look like total crap?” Rory joked. “That’s what a 24 hour round trip to Seattle will do for you” she added.

“You’ve been to Seattle?” Lorelai asked.

Rory nodded. “I really needed to talk to Logan.”

“Hun, I don’t know if you knew this but we kind of have this new-fangled technology these days…it’s called the telephone…”

Rory rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, you can mock all you like but I really don’t think telling your fiancé that you’re pregnant over the phone is the way to go…” she paused for her mother's reaction.

“You’re pregnant!” Lorelai exclaimed, her mouth dropping open wide while she stood and stared at Rory. “Oh my God, you’re pregnant!” she said as she threw her arms around her daughter and pulled her in tight.

“That wasn’t really the reaction that I had envisaged mom, but it’s very nice all the same” Rory laughed “Now if I could only breath a little…”

“Sorry kiddo, ” Lorelai said as she let her go. “Wow, you’re pregnant,” she said getting all teary. “Was it planned?” she asked carefully.

Rory grimaced a little but laughed “No, not even nearly on the agenda.”

“Oh! But you’re happy about? And Logan is happy about it?” Lorelai looked at her daughter for confirmation.

“It was a shock, there were quite a few tears” Rory admitted “but that’s only really because things have been pretty crappy between me and Logan recently what with him being away. He’s coming home though, very soon, and yeah, we’re both really excited about it.”

“Then I am really pleased for you,” Lorelai said with a smile.

“Okay, who is this pod person and what did you do with my mother” Rory eyed her suspiciously.

“I mean it Ror, all I want is for you to be happy. And whether I like it or not, I can see that Logan makes you happy. Far be it for me to interfere.” Lorelai said holding her hands up in defense.

\------

The next day Rory headed into work and sat with Kate in her office, updating her on everything that had happened. She told her about Logan coming back soon, how happy he was about the baby and how they planned to accelerate the wedding planning somewhat. She also told her about how surprisingly helpful her prospective father to be had been.

Kate was ecstatic that her friend had all this happiness in her life after what had been a pretty stressful year in many ways. As they sat together at Rory’s desk they laughed at how much her life had changed. Rory knew that if twelve months ago someone had told her she would be engaged to Logan Huntzberger, pregnant with his child, she would have laughed him or her out of the room – but here she was, this was her reality and she couldn’t be happier.

“Stacey” Rory called from her office “Did I hear someone say that Mitchum Huntzberger is due in the office today?”

Stacey appeared at the doorway. “He’s here already Miss Gilmore” she nodded “Up on the seventh floor.”

“Thanks, Stacey,” Rory said standing up from her desk.

She was really so grateful to Mitchum for helping her out and she felt like she ought to at least go say thank you to him in person. Rory headed up to the seventh floor where she found Mitchum working in Logan’s office. She knocked at the door and opened it carefully when she heard him say ‘come in’. Rory looked at him working at Logan’s desk and shuddered a little when she thought back to all the dirty things her and Logan had got up to on the desk where his father was now busy working. She couldn’t help a little smile escape from her lips.

Mitchum looked up at her. “Rory, I’m quite surprised to see you back so soon. I figured you’d stay a little long in Seattle. Is everything okay?” he asked her.

“Oh yes, everything is fine, super busy downstairs so I really didn’t want to be away too long.” She smiled.

“I admire the work ethic” he smirked back at her.

“I don’t want to keep you long, I know you’re busy I just really wanted to say thank you, for all your help yesterday. I really do appreciate it” she said.

“No problem, anytime” Mitchum nodded “How did it go with my son? I imagine he was happy to hear the news?”

Rory smiled “It went really well, way better than I could have hoped, given that it is somewhat of a surprise to us both.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Mitchum said.

“Anyway,” she said, feeling a little awkward. She was never completely comfortable in Mitchum’s company. “That’s all I came up here to say - thank you for arranging the loan of the jet…” she said as she moved to leave the office.

“Rory.”

She turned around to look at Mitchum when he said her name.

“I mean it, any time you need help, you’re more than welcome to ask for it,” Mitchum said. “Sure, I might not always be able to help, but you are part of this family now and you’ll always be treated as such, whatever Shira might try and pull.” he raised an eyebrow. “You’ll be a Huntzberger soon enough” he smiled.


	33. Oh! Baby!

“Hey honey I am home” Logan called as he walked into the apartment and called out for Rory.

“Logan?” Rory squealed as she ran out from the bedroom “Oh my god, you’re here! You’re back!” she said as she threw herself around him, them quickly becoming a messy tangle of arms and legs.

“And this time I’m back for good,” he said dropping his bags and wrapping his arms around Rory instead.

“Oh, you should have told me you were coming back to today. Look at me, I’m a total mess!” Rory said as she smoothed down the casual tank top and yoga pants she was wearing. “I’ve not even got myself dressed yet” she grumbled.

“You look absolutely perfect to me,” Logan said as he kissed her.

“Pfft, whatever” she rolled her eyes. “I’m not falling for that Huntzberger. Oh, I’m so glad you’re back, and it’s perfect timing as my first doctor's appointment came through for tomorrow and I was worried you wouldn’t be here and…oh, you are!” Rory said happily rambling on.

“Happy to see me?” Logan asked with a smirk.

“Always,” she said as she snuggled into him.

“You’re looking good Ace. How is the sickness treating you?” he asked with a little concern. She’d mentioned a few times on the phone recently that the sickness had been getting worse and he had felt bad that he wasn’t there to support her.

“Ugh don’t even talk to me about that,” she said shaking her head. “I have a very specific type of morning sickness – it doesn’t come in the morning at all, in fact, it kind of just shows up at random times of the day which is always fun when you’re in an editors meeting or at the grocery store” she groaned.

“Oh dear” Logan grimaced.

“Yes, oh dear indeed” Rory pouted “but who cares about that right now – you’re here, you’re here, you’re here,” she said clapping her hands in glee.

“I am. Now, how about I take my gorgeous fiancé out for something to eat? That is after I help her out of these clothes…”

“Logan!” Rory squealed as his cold hands pushed under her tank top, but she melted into his familiar touch as they made their way to the bedroom to do some much needed reconnecting with each other.

\--

The next morning, after a fair amount of Chinese food, a lot of reacquainting themselves with each other's bodies and just a little sleep, Rory and Logan found themselves in the doctor's room waiting to see their baby for the first time. They were both a little nervous but extremely excited too. This was about to make things really real.

“And so, there it is – there is your baby,” the doctor said as she turned the screen around so that Logan and Rory could both see for themselves. “Your baby is developing really well and I’d put you at about eleven weeks, does that work with your dates?”

Rory nodded. “Wow,” she said, “Look at that Logan” she whispered.

“I know Ace, it’s pretty amazing huh,” he said as he kissed her on the top of the head. 

The truth was that Logan found it a whole lot more than amazing. It was incredible, awe-inspiring, unbelievable and a million other adjectives that were flying through his mind in that moment. He really couldn’t get his head around the fact that the little bean on the screen with its flickering heartbeat was actually their baby. It was a tiny part of him and a tiny part of Rory that would connect them forever.

“And there’s just the one in there, right?” Rory said to the doctor.

Logan laughed and rolled his eyes at her. She had been completely paranoid recently about multiple births after seeing what Lane had gone through with the twins. 

The doctor smiled and nodded before she moved the wand to the other side of her tummy. That was the moment that her face completely changed. Rory was still looking at the screen in awe and was totally oblivious to the shift in the room, but Logan noticed the change immediately and he knew that something was wrong. 

“What is it?” he asked the doctor, concerned that she might have picked up something worrying.

“Erm, well actually as it turns out…your baby is NOT alone in there” she smiled and wrinkled her nose.

“I beg your pardon?” Rory as the doctor’s words suddenly brought her back into the room. “Not alone? What do you…Logan…” she looked up at him and he held her hand reassuringly.

The doctor smiled “Congratulations Mommy, you’re having twins.”

That was the exact point in time where everything kind of went a little blurry for Rory. She looked at Logan in a mild panic, who himself was standing there expressionless and a little shocked, trying to take in the news. 

“No, no, no,” Rory said as she shook her head and sat up on the bed. “You’re joking aren’t you?” she said, fully expecting the doctor to admit that she had been in fact playing a wicked prank on them.

The doctor shook her head. “Do you know what? News like this is often a considerable shock. I think I’ll just step out and give you two some privacy for a moment…” she said as she switched off the machine.

The minute the doctor walked out the door Rory burst into tears and Logan put his arm around her to comfort her. “Logan I can’t do this…I can’t do…twins!” she looked at him in horror.

“Calm down Ace, it’s unexpected sure…but we can do this” Logan said firmly, trying to give off an air of confidence that he wasn’t quite yet feeling.

“We can?” Rory looked at him very unsure.

“Sure. We’re two capable Ivy League educated adults – how difficult can it be?”

Rory raised an eyebrow at him.

“Okay, okay. It’s going to be very difficult but we’ve got a lot on our side. Look, we’ve got family and friends around us and we’re fortunate that we have no money worries, we can always get help in if we’re struggling…what?” Logan looked at Rory who was smiling at him.

“Nothing” she shrugged “Well, okay, I just like the ‘we’ you keep throwing in. It makes me feel, I don’t know, less alone.”

“You’re not alone Ace,” he said as he pulled her in close to him again. 

“I know I am not, but carrying two babies around – that thought terrifies me” she admitted as the doctor walked back in the room.

“So, Rory, Logan – has that news sank in a little yet?” she asked.

“Starting to” Logan smiled. “Doctor is there anything that we need to consider – I mean, are there are any risks at all for Rory…”

The doctor smiled at Logan. She could tell that this young couple were truly in love and that it was clear that Logan’s main concern was his fiancé. 

“Rory is a fit and healthy young woman so there’s no need to be overly concerned about anything. We’ll keep a bit of closer eye on her than we normally would because women pregnant with twins are at somewhat of a higher risk of certain complications…”

“Complications?” Logan questioned.

“Things like hypertension, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, placental issues or premature labor but as long as mom gets the right prenatal care and makes sure to see us regularly, any complications would be caught early and shouldn’t be problematic.”

“Can I ask a question?” Rory said. Something had been bothering her right from the off.

“Sure Rory.”

“Does this mean I’ll need to have a C-section?” she grimaced. She had really wanted to avoid as much medical intervention as possible, she’d never been keen on hospitals – not that she was particularly keen on the idea of giving birth the normal way either.

“Not necessarily – vaginal birth can be a very safe option for twin births but it’s going to depend on the positioning of your babies nearer the time. Try not to worry about that too much right now because a lot can change during pregnancy.”

Rory nodded. “Okay”

“I’ll see you again in about four weeks, make an appointment on your way out. We should be to tell the sex of the babies too then if you’re interested.”

“Thanks,” Logan said as he helped Rory up off the bed.

\--

“So I guess we’ll get to test the news on my parents first,” Logan said as he pulled the car up outside the Huntzberger’s mansion in Hartford.

“Always fun” Rory said sarcastically.

Logan had arranged to see his parents to discuss the wedding that night – this was before they’d had discovered that they one bundle of joy was, in fact, going to be two, so now there was even more to discuss. Rory was starting to get used to the idea. She had spent the rest of the day swaying between different emotions – shock, denial, stress, happiness – and of course, the pregnancy hormones did nothing to help stabilize her. Logan did his best to comfort her when she was upset and continued to reassure her that he would be by her side every step of the way.

He walked around to the other side of the car and opened the door for Rory, in the way he had done ever since they first met. Logan led her by the hand to the front door and into the house where his parents were waiting in the living room for them.

“Rory, Logan, good evening,” Mitchum said to both of them.

“Hello Mitchum, Shira” Rory smiled politely.

“How lovely to see you again Rory” Shira smiled sweetly as she leaned in to air kiss Rory on the cheek. “And Mitchum tells me congratulations are in order?” she looked at Logan with a raised eyebrow. He knew his mom would be pissed about having heard the news from Mitchum and not Rory and Logan themselves.

“Yes…thank you,” Rory said. 

“Well sit, sit” Shira gestured and Rory and Logan sat down.

“So, how far along are you dear?” Shira asked.

Rory looked at Logan. She always felt like she was about to stumble into a hornet’s nest when she was talking to the Huntzbergers. It felt like every question was designed to trip her up or catch her out in some way. He squeezed her hand sympathetically picking up on her nervousness.

“I’m eleven weeks, we had it confirmed today,” she said, as she self-consciously rubbed her hand over her lower tummy.

“Well, that’s great, isn’t that great Shira?” Mitchum said drinking his scotch.

“Yes, that’s…lovely” Shira smiled sweetly. “A new baby in the family, that’s just lovely.”

“Well…” Logan started to say as he winked at Rory “…if you like the idea of one new baby then you’re going to love the idea of two…”

“I’m sorry?” Shira looked at her son confused.

“We had our first doctors appointment today and well we found out today that Rory is actually having twins,” he said as he picked up her hand and kissed it, the small act making Rory feel all warm inside. Logan always managed to make her feel like the most special person in the world.

“Twins? Well, that is a surprise.” Mitchum said. “At least, nobody can say you’re not doing your bit to carry on the Huntzberger name…” he laughed.

“That’s presuming they will be Huntzbergers Mitchum,” Shira said, “I mean, they aren’t actually married yet…”

“Well, that’s kind of what we really came here to talk to you about mom,” Logan said. 

He had always known that his mother was a stickler for adhering to the correct protocols in society – it was one of the reasons that she disapproved of his union with Rory. It didn’t really come down to Rory at all, it was more that Lorelai had turned her back on society and ignored all the ‘right’ way to do things. It was for this reason that he had known that once they announced they were having a baby, it was never going to be very long until the subject of their marriage was raised.

“It is?” Shira looked at him in surprise, before turning to Mitchum who acknowledged her with a tilt of his head to encourage her to listen to their son.

Logan nodded “Yeah, we discussed the wedding a few weeks ago when Rory was in Seattle and we decided on a few things.”

“Oh?” Mitchum inquired.

“Rory and I…we have decided that we want to get married sooner rather than later – Rory would certainly like to do it before she starts to show too much. But the thing is we’re both really busy with work and Rory is already finding pregnancy exhausting so we were kind of hoping that you might be able to help out with all the arrangements.”

“Me?” Shira said clutching her hand to the chest in surprise. She had never expected Rory and Logan to come to her to help with their wedding plans.

“Yeah, I mean with input from us of course but you’ve got way more experience at organizing events that we have and….” Logan paused to watch his mother’s reaction. He really hoped that offering her this would bring her and Rory closer together in some way, though he doubted it would ever be perfect. The two women were destined to clash over their opposing views of exactly how a ‘Huntzberger wife’ should conduct herself.

“It’s fine Logan, of course, I would like to do it” Shira smiled “I’d love to,” she said happily. “I’ll get onto it straight away”.

And the more she thought about it, the more she meant it. While Shira never been completely on board with Rory she’d come to accept that she was definitely here to stay and she knew that if she wanted to have a relationship with her son, and now her grandchildren, she was going to have to make her peace with it.

“You will, of course, need to involve my mom and my grandma in some way or face the wrath of Emily Gilmore” Rory joked a little.

Shira laughed nervously, She had been on the receiving end of Emily’s sharp tongue in the past. “Of course” she smiled and nodded.

\--

“Well I thought that all went very well didn’t you?” Logan said as they drove back into the city.

“I know, who knew your mother would be so accommodating. She pulled me to one side and told me she had already had an idea.” Rory said a little surprised. “I feel like I have been lulled into some false sense of security though…your parents were almost being too nice,” she said. “It makes me nervous…”

“Well you are carrying the next Huntzberger heir you know,” Logan said with a smirk before turning to her and frowning “or heirs should I say!” he said with a laugh.


	34. Best Laid Plans

The next day Rory arranged to have lunch with Lorelai in the city. She really wanted to tell her mom the news face to face but with her busy work schedule that week there was just no way that she was going to be able to get back to Stars Hollow so she had begged her mom to come and meet her. Rory had slept fitfully the night before, still flitting between all the various emotions when she thought about the fact that she had two babies inside of her. She hoped she’d feel better once she’d downloaded it all onto her mother.

“So what is so important that you’ve dragged me, your poor overworked mother, all the way onto the mean streets of New York?” Lorelai asked as she took a big bite of her cheeseburger.

“I have two pieces of news to share with you,” Rory said assertively.

Lorelai raised an eyebrow “Really? Hit me!”

“Well…the first thing I need to tell you is that Logan I and have decided to get married. Soon” Rory said.

“How soon?” Lorelai questioned.

Rory shrugged “I’m not entirely sure yet but more than likely within the next couple of months. Shira is currently looking into suitable venues”.

“Shira Huntzberger?!” Lorelai looked at Rory like she had gone mad. “Have I just fallen into some kind of alternate universe?”

“I know, I know…but she’s been…well, I’m not going to go as far to say she’s been nice but she’s been, shall we say, more amenable, since finding out that I was pregnant with the next potential Huntzberger heir.”

“Well, I never. She’s finally accepting YOU, my illegitimate daughter and trash girlfriend of her golden boy, into the Huntzberger fold?” Lorelai said.

“Seems like it. For now anyhow.” Rory smiled and rolled her eyes.

“So, what’s the second piece of news?”

Rory chewed on her lip. “Okay, well…I had my first doctors appointment yesterday and we had a scan while we were there.”

“And…what did they find in there? More importantly - was it human?” Lorelai joked.

“They found twins,” Rory said and wrinkled her nose.

“What!” Lorelai stared at her daughter open-mouthed. “You’re having twins?”

“Quite a shock huh?” Rory said as she chewed on a French fry. “I’m not quite sure I believe it myself yet.”

“I’ll say. Wow Rory, twins, that’s pretty cool.” She smiled at her daughter.

Even though Rory was now a grown woman, Lorelai still found it a little hard to believe that her baby was going to have a baby – well, now that was going to be two babies she thought to herself.

“Yeah, I guess so…” Rory trailed off.

Lorelai cocked her head to one side “What’s the matter, Rory? You’re not happy about it?”

“Erm, I don’t know” Rory admitted. “I mean, I wouldn’t say that I am not happy about it, it’s just that this wasn’t in the plan is all”

“Honey,” Lorelai said as she put her hand on top of Rory’s hand. “None of this was in the plan. That’s the beauty of life Ror, it’s always throwing you a curveball and I’m going to hand it to you kiddo, you’ve had more than your fair share of those in the past twelve months. I think sometimes, you’ve just got to go with the flow. The plan that is made for you, you know?”

“I guess you’re right” Rory nodded “A new plan is taking shape, and maybe it’s not how I intended but it’s good right? Logan is really supportive, he’s really excited” she said as she sipped her water.

“Well, that’s great, good for Logan. You two could take on the world together, you’ll be fine.” Lorelai smiled “So, now I guess I understand the first piece of news…you’re getting married before you are forced to waddle down the aisle like a giant oversized meringue right?”

“You got it in one” Rory laughed.

\-------

Rory was sat back at her desk trying to concentrate on some articles when her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and took a deep breath, trying to summon up her energy and enthusiasm, before answering the call.

“Shira, hi,” Rory said as she faked a happy voice. She still wasn’t quite used to Shira Huntzberger calling her every day but she was learning to deal with it better. This new and friendly Shira made her nervous.

“Rory, I’m not interrupting anything, am I? I just needed to let you know that I have found THE perfect venue for the wedding, I think you’re going to absolutely love it.” Shira said excitedly.

“Okay…” Rory said tentatively, not sure what was going to come next.

“I went to view The Yale Club today, right here in Manhattan and it’s perfect.”

Rory was taken aback a little, she really hadn’t expected to like Shira’s first choice immediately but she had to admit that she already kind of loved the idea of it, having had been there a couple of times in the past.

“Now, you and Logan will need to go along and take a look for yourselves of course, but you need to hurry Rory because there is a huge waiting list but they’ve got a cancellation on an event which means we could have it in four weeks…”

“Four weeks?” Rory gasped. Four weeks all of a sudden seemed pretty close.

“Why, yes, isn’t that what you wanted?” Shira asked. “Did I misunderstand?”

“I guess, I mean, no you didn’t misunderstand…it’s just seems…soon.” Rory had to admit she had completely underestimated Shira’s ability to pull strings and organize an event on a tight timescale.

“Well, Rory, with twins on board you know you waistline is going to start expanding rather rapidly. If you want to hide that dear then…” Shira paused for effect.

Rory groaned, silently and somewhat sarcastically thanking Shira for pointing that out. “Right.”

“And that also leads me onto the next point Rory – you are going to need to move quickly on finding your dress. There’s only so much the Huntzberger name can do and four weeks really doesn’t leave much time to find a dress that is fitting for such a wedding. Now I’ve spoken to one of my dear friends Roberta she runs a very exclusive bridal boutique in Manhattan…” Shira rattled off. “Now if we can be there at 10 am tomorrow she’s confident that she will be able to find something you are going to love and that will be befitting of a Huntzberger wedding. I’ve spoken to your grandmother and she and your mother will be meeting us there.”

“Shira, I can’t just…I mean I have work, I can’t just walk out and go wedding dress shopping?” Rory sighed.

“Nonsense, your boss will understand given the circumstances. I’ll talk to him” Shira said.

Of course, Rory knew that Logan wasn’t going to object at all but she really hated the thought that her colleagues would think that she was getting special treatment, which of course she was.

“Fine” Rory grumbled. “10 am tomorrow”

“Fabulous, I’ll see you there,” Shira said before she ended the call.

\-------

At lunchtime, Rory headed up to the seventh floor to find Logan. She tapped lightly on his office door before entering.

“Hey,” Logan said as he looked up with a smile.

“Nice to be back in your own office again?” Rory asked as she walked over to his desk.

“Oh it’s very nice,” he said as he pulled her down into his lap “I’ve got some very fond memories of this office” he winked and he kissed the back of her neck.

“As much as I’d like to make a few more memories, and believe me I really would…we’ve got somewhere we need to go. Can you take an hour for lunch?” Rory asked.

“Yeah I guess…where are we going?” Logan looked at her slightly puzzled.

“We’re going to look at your mother’s suggested wedding venue…come on,” she said as she stood up and grabbed Logan by the hand.

“Do we need a car?” Logan asked.

“No, it’s only a few blocks away, we can walk” Rory smiled. She didn’t tell Logan where they were headed until they stood right outside the entrance.

“The Yale Club?” he said as he looked at Rory.

“All down to you mother. We just have to decide whether we like it or not – oh and if we do? We’re getting married in four weeks” she said as she dragged him in by the hand.

“Four weeks!” he exclaimed.

Their proposed wedding coordinator, Christy, showed them around the building and it was fair to say that they were pretty blown away. Sure, they had been to The Yale Club on many occasions before but they had never really looked at it in the same detail and certainly never as their wedding venue. They both loved the old-world ballroom, the space was simply stunning.

Rory knew that The Yale Club was the perfect place for a classic New York City wedding. It was traditional, elegant and sophisticated – perfectly fitting for a Huntzberger/Gilmore wedding and she could see exactly why Shira would have chosen it. The location was also perfect, being just across the street from Grand Central, which would allow them to take some stunning pictures against the backdrop of one of NYC’s most iconic buildings.

“What do you think?” Rory said as she turned to Logan.

“Let’s do it,” Logan said decidedly.

\-------

Roberta looked at Rory “So what type of dress are you looking for Rory?”

Rory was sat in a beautiful seating area in the bridal boutique with her mom, her grandmother and Shira Huntzberger.

“Erm well, I’ve not really had a lot of time to think about it too much. Something classic, nothing too fitted around the waist I guess.” Rory said.

“She’s knocked up” Lorelai chimed in “with twins” she added, “but hey, nobody is suggesting this is a shotgun wedding at all.”

Emily shot a look at her daughter “Lorelai!”

Shira ignored them both “I think a ballgown would be perfect.” she nodded.

Rory looked at her and wrinkled her nose.

“A ballgown is most befitting for a wedding of this importance Rory” Shira smiled.

“Fine” Rory forced a smile “I will try on a ballgown,” she said to Roberta.

“I’ve got a few ideas of some dresses you will like Rory, I’ll go put them in the dressing room and we can start there, okay?” she smiled.

Despite her being one of Shira’s friends, Rory immediately warmed to Roberta. She could already tell she wasn’t going to force her into something that she didn’t want. Rory followed her into the dressing room to try on the first dress that had been selected for her – it was a dress called ‘Therese’ by Vera Wang, a stunning ballgown featuring a huge back bustle skirt and had an open back design that she really liked.

“What do you think Rory?” Roberta asked her as she stood in front of the large mirrors.

“It’s beautiful, I’m just not sure about the bustle. The back is gorgeous though.”

“That’s stunning Ror,” Lorelai said.

“Yeah, it is, I’m not sure it’s really me though?” Rory bit her lip.

Emily and Shira agreed with Rory. It was a lovely dress but it wasn’t the one.

The next dress Rory tried on was one that she had picked out herself - ‘Cezanne’ by Suzanne Neville. It was a beautiful modern classic dress made from the finest lace and silk satin and Rory was comfortable with it’s lower price tag. She enjoyed the way it flowed and everyone agreed that it was a beautiful dress that suited her very well. It was definitely a front-runner but there was still one more dress to try on.

The last dress that she tried on was one that Shira had picked out for her. It was an intricately designed Zuhair Murad ballgown featuring an illusion neckline with a natural waist in tulle and beaded embroidery. It had delicate cap sleeves and an elegant chapel train and as soon as Rory stepped into it, she felt transformed, she felt like a princess. It was completely exquisite – and came with an equally exquisite price tag of nearly $14,000.

“Wow,” Roberta said as she fastened the dress up. “Do you want to show them?”

Rory nodded and stepped out into the waiting area where all three women took a sharp intake of breath. Nobody said anything for a moment.

“What do you think kiddo?” Lorelai said figuring someone needed to break the silence.

“I love it. This is the one.” Rory said as she looked at herself in the mirror. “Shira, I can’t believe you picked this out for me…because it’s absolutely perfect in every way.”

Shira smiled to herself happily, a little smugly perhaps, Rory thought but she’d let her have it because it was deserved in that moment.

“It’s just…” Rory paused.

“What?” Emily asked, “What is it, Rory?”

Rory sighed “It’s really expensive.”

“It’s fine Rory, don’t worry about the price, we’ll pay for it” Shira smiled.

Emily turned to look at Shira. “You will do no such thing, Rory is my granddaughter. I will buy the dress, Rory.”

Lorelai smiled at Rory and rolled her eyes at her. “Erm, hello, does anyone want to think about me? Hello, Rory’s mother, giver of life, here…” she said waiving her hands in the air.

Rory raised an eyebrow. “Really mom? You want to pay for this?” she looked at her mom incredulously. “Have you seen the price tag?”

“On seconds thought, I think it’s really lovely of you to offer to pay mom…” Lorelai winked.

Emily rolled her eyes. “Just let me know what I need to pay,” she said smiling at Shira.

\-------

“I am completely beat,” Rory said as she lay down on the sofa and put her feet on Logan’s lap. “Who knew that wedding dress shopping could be so exhausting”

“With your mom, my mom and your grandmother in the mix? I would have thought calling it exhausting would be something of an understatement.” Logan smirked “No catfights? No mass brawl amongst the layers of tulle and chiffon?”

“Disappointingly no, everyone was very civil. I mean, I thought at one point there might be a tussle – there was a kind of credit cards at dawn moment between my grandmother and your mom but Emily Gilmore won the day.” Rory laughed.

“So…you bought a dress?” Logan smiled.

“I bought a dress” Rory smiled back at him. “And I love it! It was way over budget of course, but as soon as I put it on I knew it was perfect, oh but here’s the kicker…”

Logan looked at her “Yes…”

“This amazingly fabulous dress? Your mom chose it.”

“My mom chose your wedding dress,” Logan said laughing “Oh that’s hilarious. You know we’ll never hear the end of this.”

“She has exceptional taste” Rory shrugged. “I did want to turn it down on principal but it’s amazing. I feel like a princess,” she said proudly.

“Well I can’t wait to see you wearing it princess,” Logan said as he leaned over to kiss her.

“Four weeks baby,” she said as she kissed him back.


	35. The Build Up

The next few weeks flew by in a complete frenzy of wedding arrangements. Luckily, for the most part, Emily and Shira were able to take care of everything with only a handful of arguments occurring between the pair, and Lorelai was on hand to stop Rory having some sort of breakdown when it all got too much – which it did, several times. It turned out that trying to decide whether roses or lilies would be more appropriate and which of the three different shades of cream for the table linens was acceptable was just too much to deal with alongside the double dose of pregnancy hormones that she was experiencing. Logan knew better than to get too involved and relied on being told exactly what the needed to do and when he needed to do it. His main concern above everything else was making sure that Rory didn’t get too stressed out or put her and their babies at any risk.

Rory decided in that in her pregnant state the last thing that she really wanted was a wild bachelorette party so instead, Emily had suggested that they hold a low-key yet elegant afternoon tea, an idea that Rory was quite happy with. Lorelai insisted that she should host it at The Dragonfly Inn and enlisted her best friend Sookie to help with all the catering. The ‘Willy Wonka’ theme that Lorelai had decided on wasn’t exactly one that Emily or Shira was overly impressed with but when it came down to it, they had to admit that when they looked around the room, what Lorelai had planned was a complete success.

As Emily and Shira had taken the lead, Lorelai had naturally felt a little excluded from the wedding arrangements, although she knew deep down that wasn’t really the intention. Even so, when she got the chance to host the tea for Rory, she ran wild with the theme that she had taken from one of their favorite films and had happily greeted her guests on the steps of the inn.

“Come with me and step into a world of pure imagination…” she announced wafting her arms dramatically.

“Mom this is so great” Rory laughed as she walked into the see the decorated dining room. 

Sookie had come up with an incredibly inventive menu for the tea. To start they were served a ‘Fizzy Lifting Drink” which was actually a cherry soda served in a small bottle with a paper straw and sprinkled with popping candy. The tables were laid with delicacies such as the Oompa Loompa’s miniature sandwiches, Augustus Gloop’s chocolate lollipops, Violet Beauregarde’s blueberry macaroons, Charlie Bucket’s chocolate fancies and Willy Wonka’s butterscotch scones. Everything tasted amazing and everyone was so very complimentary.

As Rory sat there surrounded by her closest friends and family she couldn’t help but think how lucky she was. She was glad that finally she and her mom seemed to be back on the same page. She hated it when they didn’t get along and she really hoped that this was a sign that Lorelai had finally accepted her and Logan.

Deciding to support Rory and display a show of solidarity, Logan had chosen not to have a bachelor party, much to the utter disgust of his friends. This, of course, didn’t stop them turning up at their apartment one night to drag him out for a night of drinking and then delivering him back at the end of the night, barely able to stand up. Rory had opened the door to the apartment and swiftly pulled out the pregnant card, demanding that Colin and Finn actually get Logan into bed seeing as there was no way she was going to drag him there.

“You got him in this state, you get him into that bedroom,” Rory said with her hands on her hips.

“You’re so bossy when you’re pregnant” Finn pouted.

“I think that’s ‘bossier’ actually” Colin corrected him.

“Watch it McCrae” she warned “Just get him in there” she rolled her eyes as she followed them into the bedroom where Colin and Finn dumped Logan down on the bed and she started to undo his shoes.

“Rorrrrry, you’re a good girlfriend, isn’t she a good girlfriend,” Logan said to his friends.

“Yes. Yes, I am a great girlfriend” She said throwing his shoes on the floor. “What on earth did you do to him?” she said looking at his friends.

Finn shrugged. “There was scotch and then some shots…”

“and then a little more scotch,” Colin added

“And I think that was followed by even more shots” Finn nodded “but everything is a bit blurry”

“Of course” Rory shook her head. “Now, out, the pair of you!” she ushered the boys out of the room and towards the door of the apartment before she went back into the bedroom to finish getting Logan out of his jacket and trousers.

“Ace, I love you. You know that don’t you? Do you know that? You do know that. I love you. I. Love. You.” Logan slurred.

Rory smiled and shook her head as pulled the covers over Logan as he fell straight to sleep. 

XXXXXX

Before they really knew it the wedding day was almost upon them. Logan and Rory had decided to go with tradition and spend the night before the wedding apart and so to make up for it, they decided to spend the day before the wedding, alone together. 

It just so happened that their next doctor’s appointment had been arranged for that morning, and Rory was so excited about getting to see their babies again. She lay on the bed as the doctor ran the Doppler over her tummy. 

“So you’ve adjusted to the news?” the doctor smiled. 

“Yes,” Rory laughed and looked at Logan. “It took a little while but it is what it is!”

“Well, I am happy to say that both babies look like they are developing perfectly, really good strong heartbeats and they’re exactly the size they should be” the doctor smiled “They’re also being extremely cooperative today so if you wanted to know their genders I could tell you right now?”

Rory looked up at Logan. They’d had a long debate over breakfast that day as to whether they should find out what they were having. Rory kind of wanted to know but Logan was adamant he wanted it to be a surprise and as she was sitting precariously on the fence, they had decided not to find out.

“Erm..no,” Rory said decidedly “We don’t want to know. Right?” she looked to Logan for confirmation and he squeezed her hand.

“No, we’re going to keep it a surprise.” Logan nodded.

The doctor smiled “I think that’s nice, most people find out now so it’s quite refreshing to find people that want to leave it until the birth, especially with twins.”

Rory and Logan collected the scan pictures on their way out of the clinic and strolled happily hand in hand to a nearby restaurant for lunch.

“I think…I am about the happiest I could ever be” Rory said as she relaxed back in her chair, one hand resting on her tummy which was just starting to swell a little.

“You’ve peaked already? You don’t think you’ll be even happier tomorrow?” Logan looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“I don’t see how I am in a complete little bubble of bliss right now” she smiled.

XXXXX

All of a sudden, the morning of the wedding finally dawned. Rory threw her feet out of the side of the bed, the butterflies in her stomach working overtime. It was moments like this that she was glad that the morning sickness had finally subsided. As she slowly woke up properly, she couldn’t believe that the day was finally here – the day she was going to marry the absolute love of her life. It felt like they had taken forever to get to this point and she wasn’t sure she was going to believe that it was actually happening until those vows had been exchanged.

As a treat, Logan had booked Rory into the palatial Royal Suite at The Plaza Hotel, a lavishly appointed suite which overlooked Fifth Avenue. Its three bedrooms meant that there was plenty of space for Rory, Lorelai and Kate to stay with her the night before and they’d spent a nice night watching old movies on the bed. Rory absolutely loved the suite, it was one of the nicest places she had ever stayed, though she was unsure what use she would be able to make of the grand piano and the dining room that seated twelve but the separate library? She was totally in awe of that. She loved how Logan was always full of surprises. He had wanted to make sure that Rory would take it as easy as possible and that she would have plenty of time to chill out before the ceremony that was due to take place later that afternoon.

Meanwhile, over at The Yale Club, Logan was getting himself ready in the Branford Suite with Colin, Finn and Honor. His parents were also milling around somewhere, his mom insisting that she had to make sure that everything had been done to her exact instructions.

Logan pulled Honor to one side. “Honor, I need you to do me a favour?”

“Sure,” she said, “What is it?” 

Honor was so happy that this day was finally here. She’d been so upset when Rory and Logan had broken up and when she’d seen the news of Rory’s marriage to James a few years later, Honor had feared that her brother had lost the chance to be with the only woman he’d ever truly loved. She’d never ever seen him as happy as when he was with Rory.

“Can you take this to Rory at The Plaza?” he asked as he pulled out a Tiffany box from his jacket pocket.

“Of course” she smiled. “I’ll go now.”

XXXXXX

The girls had spent a lovely relaxed morning, just lying around and chatting before it was suddenly time for Rory to get her hair and make-up done and finally get herself into her dress. She stepped into the beautiful gown and Lorelai fastened it up carefully for her. Luckily even though she had started to show, it wasn’t enough to stick out too much and the dress was quite forgiving in its design.

Rory turned around to look at Lorelai. “Well? What do you think? Good enough to be a Huntzberger?”

Lorelai rolled her eyes “You’ve always been good enough to a Huntzberger, the question is are THEY good enough for you?” she winked. “Honestly Rory, you are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen. I mean, you look even better than the first time you got married” Lorelai said jokingly. 

“Mom!” Rory shrieked.

Lorelai laughed “Seriously Rory, wow,” she said as she wiped away an escaped tear away.

“Oh, Mom! Don’t cry, you’ll set me off and I’ll ruin my make-up!” she said as she walked towards the door of the suite where someone had just knocked at the door.

“Honor!” she said as she pulled open the door, surprised to see her sister-in-law to be standing there.

“Oh, my gosh Rory” Honor said as she took in Rory’s appearance. Her hands flew up to her face “You look absolutely amazing. Oh, Logan is just going to die” she said as she walked into the suite. “Wow”.

“Thanks” Rory blushed. She’d never been good at accepting compliments.

Honor put her hand in her bag and pulled out the gift box that Logan had given her and handed it over to Rory. “Here. From Logan” she said with a smile.

Rory smiled back at her as she took the box from her. “I feel really bad now, I didn’t get him anything.”

“To be quite honest, I think you, delivering yourself to him in that dress, is probably enough” Honor smiled “Not to mention you are carrying around his children, I think that’s a pretty big gift, don’t you”

Rory laughed. “Sure, I think you are right.” 

She carefully untied the white ribbon that secured the box and opened the lid to find the most gorgeous Tiffany bracelet she’d ever seen. It was adorned with many round brilliant diamonds and cultured pearls set on a platinum band.

“Wow,” she said, the piece of jewellery took her breath away.

Lorelai looked over Rory’s shoulder “Jeepers kiddo, that is something else.”

“Oh, how the other half live,” Kate said, laughing dreamily.

“Logan has such impeccable taste when it comes to picking gifts” Honor nodded. “That really is stunning.”

“It really is,” Rory said, “I feel quite overwhelmed.”

“Now, no crying Rory” Honor wiggled her finger. “Right,” she said leaning in to kiss Rory gently on the cheek “I had better get back. I’ll see you after the ceremony Sis” she winked.

Rory grabbed her phone to send a quick text Logan. She had tried hard not to contact him at all that day but the bracelet tipped her over the edge. 

“Thank you so much for the gift, I absolutely love it. I’ll see you soon, I’ll be the one in the fancy dress x”

Logan picked up his cell phone off the table when he heard it buzz. He read the message from Rory and smiled. Only a few more hours and she was going to be his wife and he couldn’t wait.


	36. The Wedding

Time just seemed to fly by and before Rory really knew what was happening it was time for them to leave The Plaza. The limo was waiting downstairs for them and as they made their way out to the car, they realized they had significantly underestimated the level of interest that there would be from the press – photographers were clambering over each other, waiting to catch the first glimpse of the woman that was marrying into the Huntzberger dynasty.

The limo made the short journey over to The Yale Club. They had decided to hold the wedding ceremony in the library – as a book-lover, being surrounded by all the old books seemed like the perfect place to Rory.

As she stood outside the door to the room with Christy the wedding organizer, her mom and Kate, Rory suddenly felt very nervous and a little wobbly. She was consumed with thoughts flooding her mind about the magnitude of the family she was marrying into, the life that she was going to live, the awareness that she was going to be bringing two new Huntzberger heirs into the world – and of course the fact that after all this time she and Logan were finally going to commit themselves to each other once and for all.

“Hey, Rory, are you okay kid?” Lorelai asked with concern as she noticed that her daughter suddenly looked very pale. “Do you want to sit down for a moment?”

Rory nodded and Kate guided her over to sit in a chair.

“What’s the matter, Rory?” Kate asked.

“I…I am okay, I just felt very overwhelmed for a moment there. I really can’t believe that this is happening or that Logan is waiting for me, right there on the other side of the door” she said. “I’ll be fine, just need to catch my breath.”

“You know, it’s not too late to bolt” Lorelai winked “Pretty sure the limo is still outside.”

Rory smiled at her mom. “Nice try.”

\-------

Inside the library, a nervous Logan stood waiting for Rory to make her entrance. He was fiddling with his hands and pushing his hair through his hands – the wait just making him more anxious. He’d never dared dream that they’d actually get to his point and now it was so tantalizingly close he didn’t want to wait another minute.

“Relax mate,” Finn said as he put his hand on Logan’s shoulder.

“She’s late,” Logan said.

“Only by a few minutes Logan, she’s not going to stand you up,” Colin said as he patted his friend on the back.

Just then they heard the music start up and the door to the library slowly opened. Logan closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning around to watch Rory, now on the arm of Lorelai, enter the room. She was absolutely breathtaking, he was pretty sure he’d never seen anyone look as beautiful as she did in that moment. He made a mental note to thank his mother for her helping his fiancé to find the amazing dress that she was wearing, that only served to enhance her natural beauty. He smiled as his eyes moved lower and he could just about make out the gentle swelling of her tummy.

As Logan watched Rory, the absolute love of his life, walking down the aisle towards him, it felt just like time had stopped, everything else around him was a blur and he could see only her. Their eyes locked on each other and he broke out into a wide smile as finally, she reached him. He reached out and took hold of her hand.

“You look…magnificent” he whispered “and damn hot I might add.”

“Thanks” she blushed slightly.

“Ready to do this?” he asked her with a slightly raised eyebrow.

“Absolutely. You jump I jump Jack” she smiled.

The ceremony was beautiful and for the both of them, it was all about making memories for themselves and their families that would last forever. It had taken some badgering from Emily but Rory and Logan had agreed to write their own vows. Initially Rory had hated the idea but she eventually warmed up to it and in the end, she actually liked the idea of exchanging personal vows.

Logan turned to Rory and took her hands in his and cleared his throat before he started to speak.

“Tolstoy wrote of two lovers - of a man that did not know where he ended and his beloved began. This is how I love you, Rory - unceasingly and conjoined in expectation as we become one. There are no words, and no proper emotions for what I feel today, the idea that you are going to be my wife is overwhelming, I am truly the luckiest man alive.

I promise to make your dreams mine, to support you, to cherish you and to devote my life to your happiness. I vow to carry you and to be carried by you, to journey with you and to love each minute because of our travels together. We will live a life of constant adventure together.”

As Logan pushed the platinum band on to her finger, Rory had to hold back the tears that were threatening to escape from her eyes because she knew that her turn to speak was coming up. Keeping hold of Logan’s hands she looked at him and took a deep breath and he smiled and nodded at her to encourage her on.

“Logan, I always knew that someday, somewhere, someone would walk into my life and make me realize exactly why I was meant to be. The first time I saw you I realized that you were him. It was you. You are every reason, every hope, and every dream I've ever had, and no matter what happens to us in the future, every day we are together is the greatest day of my life. I will always be yours.

I admire how you are fearless - you are not afraid to be yourself. I promise to always encourage you and to try to keep a light heart and a sense of humor. I will be honest, respectful and supportive of your dreams and goals. But most of all, I promise to trust and love you with all my heart, as your wife, and cherish you with all my soul forever and ever.”

Logan smiled as Rory placed the wedding band on his finger and they turned back to face the officiant.

“Throughout this ceremony, Rory and Logan have vowed, in our presence, to be loyal and loving towards each other. They have formalized the existence of the bond between them with words spoken and with the giving and receiving of rings. Therefore, it is my pleasure to now pronounce them husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride!”

“Finally,” Logan said as he pulled Rory in close and kissed deeply and passionately her before dipping her down backwards for a truly Hollywood kiss. Rory kissed him back, just as deeply, sending all her love for him through that kiss. They lingered for slightly longer than might be considered appropriate and only broke away from each other when they heard Finn catcalling them and their guests erupted in applause and whistles as they kissed for the first time as a married couple.

After the couple had finally said their ‘I Do's’ they were whisked off for their formal photographs which they had taken in two of Rory’s favorite buildings – the New York Public Library and the magnificent Grand Central Terminal, both of which were only a short distance away. They enjoyed having a few precious moments to themselves in the back of the limo as they headed back to join the wedding reception.

“Can you believe we are actually married now?” Rory said as Logan intertwined his hand with hers as they sat in the back of the car. “It doesn’t feel real.”

“I know, it all kind of feels like a dream,” he said. “I never dared hope we would ever find ourselves here.”

Rory smiled “You were totally right yesterday you know…”

“Yesterday?” he asked, trying to think back.

“When I said I thought I was the happiest I could ever be? NOW I am the happiest I could be!” she said as she leaned over to give her new husband a kiss.

\------

Rory and Logan arrived back at The Yale Club where the celebrations had been continuing and they joined their guests on the roof terrace for cocktail hour overlooking the glittering lights of the city. Tuxedo-clad club waiters greeted guests with champagne and served hors d'oeuvres alongside a performance from The Whiffenpoofs – Yale’s esteemed acapella group which had been her grandfather Richard’s idea.

The Yale Club was a grand old affair with a magnificently opulent ballroom where the reception was to be held, yet in spite of its old world elegance, it managed to retain a sense of intimacy and Rory couldn’t help but feel that it was completely perfect. It really couldn’t have been a better pick for their wedding ceremony and reception and she, rather begrudgingly, had to hand it to Shira, she’d done an amazing job in planning the wedding.

After a little time mingling and sipping on champagne it was time to head into the ballroom for a night of dinner and dancing. When Rory and Logan walked into the ballroom hand-in-hand, they were completely overwhelmed by the beauty, elegance, and warmth of the room. It felt so romantic and magical – everything that Rory would have wanted it to be. Shira had arranged for the room to be decked out with dozens of gorgeous white roses dripping in crystals and made even more romantic by the hundreds of candles scattered across the tables bathing the room in a warm yellow glow straight out of a fairy tale.

Everyone took their places for dinner but Rory was far too excited to eat very much, though an over-protective Logan kept a watchful eye on her and made sure that she at least had something to keep her energy up. Their guests enjoyed a sumptuous meal that started with an appetizer of baked goat cheese soufflé salad, followed by the main course of pan-seared filet mignon in a red wine shallot sauce. When it came to dessert, alongside their delicious three-tier red velvet wedding cake, they also served chocolate-dipped strawberries and white and dark chocolate truffles.

When it came to the speeches Logan had prepared a heartfelt speech about the journey him and Rory had taken to get to this point, which made most of the women in the room rather emotional while Finn and Colin delivered an entertaining best man double act. In place of the traditional father of the bride speech, Rory had asked Lorelai to speak. Rory had deliberated long and hard about who she should have given her away, at her first wedding she had gone with tradition and Christopher had walked her down the aisle. This time she really thought about it and ultimately felt it was too difficult for her to make a decision as to whether Christopher, who she had a strained relationship with, or Luke who had been there for her entire life should give her away which is why in the end she decided on the person who had been both mom and dad to her throughout her life. Lorelai.

Lorelai nervously stood up to make her speech. She wasn’t normally so self-conscious about all eyes being on her but she really wanted to make a good job of the speech for Rory. She knew it meant a lot of her daughter and as their relationship had been slightly rocky over recent months it felt even more important that she got this right.

“Rory, You have brought so much happiness and love to my life. You were my whole family for so many years and now you are going to experience this joy with a family of your own. I am so very proud of everything that you have accomplished in your life and the woman you have become.

I have been wrong plenty of times about so many things but I’ve learned a few things over the past few years and I wanted to share these with both of you.

Rory and Logan. Take as many opportunities as you can to tell each other how much you love and respect one another. Remember, and this was a really hard one for me to grasp - that respect can mean appreciating another’s viewpoint, so don’t stifle him and don’t let him stifle you.

Have fun together. Find new and exciting ways to experience life. Set goals that you both want, and you’ll enjoy the journey with a companion.

Remember your commitment, because as you well know, things will get hard. It is those difficult times that most strain our relationships, so always remember to find the rainbow after a storm.

I love you, Rory. Logan, look after my baby girl. I wish you both a lifetime of love and happiness.”

Lorelai looked across at the daughter who was sitting only a few chairs away and saw her wiping away tears. Rory stood up and moved towards her mom before they hugged tightly.

“Thank you mom” Rory whispered “I love you”

“Love you too kiddo,” Lorelai said warmly.

After the speeches were concluded, it was time for Rory and Logan to take to the floor for their first dance. Rory had left Logan in charge of picking the song and he had thought about for a long time. One day as he was driving back into the city a song had come on the radio and it was perfect. He had finally found something where the lyrics meant something to him and he knew that it said everything he wanted it to.

When I look into your eyes  
It's like watching the night sky  
Or a beautiful sunrise  
There's so much they hold  
And just like them old stars  
I see that you've come so far  
To be right where you are  
How old is your soul?

Well I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough  
I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up

And when you're needing your space, to do some navigating  
I'll be here patiently waiting, to see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn  
Some even fall to the earth  
We've got a lot to learn  
God knows we're worth it  
No, I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily  
I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make  
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use  
The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake  
And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend  
For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn  
We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in  
I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not and who I am

I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough  
I'm giving you all my love  
I'm still looking up, still looking up.

Logan took Rory into his arms and they danced together slowly. Rory laid her head on Logan’s shoulder, listening to the lyrics of the song - they were a perfect fit for them and their life. As painful as it had been, they'd had to set each free before they could get to this point. They had both needed to discover who they really were and now having done that, and made mistakes, Rory felt confident that they could handle whatever life was to throw at them. In that moment it felt like it was just the two of them and that nobody else existed. They both knew that whatever happened in the future, they would remember that moment forever.

The rest of the evening flew by in a whirl of dancing and talking to their guests. Rory was making pleasantries with some family friends when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see who it was.

“Jess” she smiled happily. “I thought you hadn’t come.”

Jess shrugged “I decided to stay away from the ceremony, you know, just in case.”

“In case I decided I couldn’t resist you and changed my mind?” she winked at him.

“Something like that” he laughed as he put his hands in his pockets.

“Well I am really glad you came” she smiled.

“Congratulations. You look good Rory, and happy, finally”

“Thanks, Jess,” she said as she pulled him in for a hug and kissed him on the cheek.

As Jess pulled away from Rory, he spotted Logan watching their exchange from across the room. He nodded his acknowledgement at Logan who smiled politely and tipped his glass in his direction. None of this went unnoticed by Rory who smiled gratefully at Logan – she knew that he’d never be one hundred percent comfortable with her relationship with Jess but she was thankful that he was going to accept it was what it was.

Before they knew it the day was almost over. Rory and Logan's amazing wedding day had been truly magical in every way. Not only was the day full of love and happiness, but every detail had been thoroughly thought out and planned to perfection – which in the most part was down to Shira. The classic Yale Club venue had set the scene for a day of elegance and glamour and everything was exactly what Rory had hoped for, maybe even more. The day was just gorgeous and everything had gone so smoothly.

Sad to be reaching the end of their wonderful day, the happy couple were whisked back to the suite at The Plaza where Honor had been working her magic and had set up the room beautiful with candles and strewn the room with rose petals.

Completely exhausted from the day – they both collapsed on the bed, Rory surrounded in a big heap of tulle.

“It’s been a great day,” Logan said as he leaned over and kissed her on the top of he head.

“It really has, it’s been amazing” she sighed “I love you so much,” she said turning to her new husband.

Logan pulled her closer to him. “I love you too Mrs Huntzberger” 

\------

A/N: Eep, that took some writing, a little longer than my usual chapters. Please let me know what you thought! Song if you don't recognize it is 'I Won't Give Up' by Jason Mraz.


	37. The Morning After

The next morning Rory woke up slowly, wondering to herself whether the previous day had really happened or whether it had all been just a wonderful dream. So many thoughts were swirling through her mind as she looked at Logan. "Am I really waking up next to my husband? Am I really spending the rest of my life with this person I love so much?" She was amazed at where she found herself and so very happy.

“So you know…” Rory said as she turned to face Logan properly “…We never actually managed to consummate our marriage last night”

“Well, it wasn’t for the want of trying on my part, but after we got you out of all the tulle you were fit for nothing.” Logan laughed.

“Sorry” Rory grimaced. She was still struggling with pregnancy fatigue and the long day on her feet had obviously taken its toll on her.

“I don’t mind, I’m sure you needed that sleep, plus we have a whole lifetime head of us to make up for it…” he said as he gently touched her cheek.

“Want to start right now?” Rory raised an eyebrow.

Logan really didn’t need to be asked twice. He moved closer to her and leaned over to softly press his lips to hers. Rory responded and reached an arm up and around his neck to pull him in even closer so she could return the kiss, her tongue pressing against his. They lost themselves in the deepest most passionate kiss for a few minutes before he repositioned himself and moved in between her legs, reaching a hand down and touching her lightly. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that the kissing had already affected her, and she lightly moaned as he touched her, finding her already wet.

He began kissing his way down her body, pausing to lick and tease her as her went. She moaned breathlessly as he kissed his way down to her thighs before his tongue found her entrance. Gasping she tensed up from his touch, wanting more.

"Logan..." she whispered to him, wanting him.

Logan wanted to be inside of her so badly but he was determined to make this moment last. Flicking his tongue over her he pushed her legs further apart and slid two fingers inside of her, eliciting a groan from Rory who loved the feeling as he started to move them inside her gently.

"You like that?” he asked looking up at her.

"You know I do..." she said as she arched her back and closed her eyes. Logan was working her harder with his tongue and fingers and she could feel herself getting so close.

"Oh god, Logan” she moaned loudly as clasped her legs closed around his head as she climaxed. Her legs relaxed from around him and she let out a deep satisfied sigh. “Wow,” she whispered, “That was…incredible”

“And we’re not even nearly done yet,” Logan said as he moved back up her body before he pushed himself slowly into her. He paused for a moment while the pleasurable feeling washed over him. He pushed her arms up over her head, sliding his hands along them and interlocking his fingers with hers. Logan held her hands down and pressed his weight upon her as he moved, kissing her neck as he did. Rory moved along with him, turning her head to find his lips with hers. They continued to kiss as they moved together slowly, taking their time and enjoying the intimacy that they were feeling. He slowly slid in and out, again and again increasing in pace each time. He looked down at Rory as moan began to escape her mouth.

Rory lifted her eyes to meet his, and what he saw in them in that instant made him fall in love with her all over again. He grabbed her waist tightly, his mouth meeting with her collarbone before trailing down her neck to kiss her breasts. Her head fell backwards.

"I can't take much more of this," Logan panted, "You are making me crazy."

Rory reached up and her lips touched his. She pulled him close to her as their tongues met – she wanted him to know that she desired him just as much as he wanted her. She could feel her heart pounding as she looked up into his eyes and saw the same look of passion in them as she knew was in hers.

“Just let go, baby, I want to feel you come.” she whispered in his hear.

Her words were enough to tip Logan over the edge and Rory felt his muscles tense. His hips lost their steady rhythm and he drove into her in a series of shudders as his forehead dropped to meet hers.

They stayed like that for a few moments until Logan finally rolled off and onto his side, immediately pulling her closer into my arms. Rory curled up onto him and clung tightly.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear.

"I love you too," she replied with a sigh, burrowing deeper into his chest with a smile on her face.

\------

They lay there just resting for a little while, and were just about to contemplate the second round of consummation when they were interrupted by a knock at the door of their suite. Logan groaned and Rory smiled.

“I’ll go,” she said as she kissed Logan and pulled on a robe to cover herself up. She opened the door to the suite and found Finn standing there.

Finn took in her flushed appearance and mussed up hair and smirked, “Rory my love, you look like you’ve been thoroughly fu…”

“Finn!” Logan interrupted him from behind Rory “What are you doing here?” he said as he slid his arms around the waist of his new wife.

“I have been sent to fetch you, seeing as neither of you are answering your cell phones…” Finn said. “But obviously now I can see why…”

“Well we are newlyweds, what do you expect?” Logan smirked and Rory rolled her eyes.

“Fetch us?” Rory asked. “Where are we going?” she said slightly puzzled. Nobody had told her that there was anything arranged for that day.

Finn explained that Mitchum and Shira had decided to host an impromptu brunch for their close friends and family on the roof terrace at The Yale Club and he had been nominated to come and drag the happy couple away from their bedroom.

“Ugh, well you’re going to have to wait while we go shower and get changed,” Logan said.

“Okay, you’ve got thirty minutes Huntzberger. No funny business you two, remember I am sitting out here…I don’t want to hear it.” Finn said as he sat down on the sofa in the suite and turned the TV on while Logan and Rory headed back into the bedroom to get ready.

Logan grabbed Rory by the hand “Come on, shower time” he said as he led her into the large bathroom.

“You heard him Logan, no funny business…” she laughed and shook her head.

“No funny business intended,” Logan said as he put his hands up in defense “Just straight sex!” he laughed as he turned on the water and pulled Rory in and pushed her up against the wall.

\------

“So that was 45 minutes,” Finn said as he tapped his watch.

“Sorry, we got a little…distracted” Logan smiled “and she’s a very demanding woman” he laughed as Rory slapped him playfully.

“I do not want to know,” Finn said, “Come on let's go, the car is waiting downstairs”.

When they got to The Yale Club everyone was waiting for them to get brunch started.

“You took your time Finn,” Honor said.

“Not my fault. Don’t blame me, blame these two” He shrugged and pointed at the Rory and Logan.

“Bow chicka wow wow” Lorelai laughed.

“Lorelai!” Emily scolded her.

“What? She’s my daughter, I know exactly why they are late” she winked at Rory who blushed as Logan squeezed her around the waist.

They all sat down to enjoy brunch together. It was a very civilised affair and as much as Rory wanted to hate it, she actually had a really lovely time and the brunch felt like the perfect end to a perfect weekend.

After they had all finished eating Mitchum stood up and tapped his glass to get everyone’s attention. Rory turned to Logan and raised an eyebrow, both of them slightly worried about what was going to come next.

“As Father of the Groom, you don’t really get much chance to say anything at the wedding so I just wanted to take this opportunity to offer our congratulations,” Mitchum said. “We might have had our differences in the past but Rory, Shira and I are very happy to officially welcome you to the family.”

Rory smiled graciously at Mitchum and Shira as Logan squeezed her hand under the table.

“Now we thought long and hard about what we could get as a wedding gift for you and finally we decided on something that we hope you will like,” he said as he handed them an envelope. “We think that with your family rapidly expanding that you’ll get a lot of use out of it in the future.”

Logan opened the envelope and pulled out the piece of paper inside. He looked at it and handed it across to Rory to read.

She took a look at the paper and looked up at Mitchum and Shira. “You bought us a house?” Rory said incredulously.

“A holiday cottage. We thought it would be useful for short breaks and when you need to escape the city” Shira said, “We know how much you both enjoyed staying at our house in the vineyard so we thought that perhaps this is something you could enjoy with your children…”

“This is…too much” Rory said shaking her head as she handed the paper with the house details over to her mom who was chomping at the bit to get a look at what they were all talking about.

Lorelai’s eyes widened at the picture of the house. “Wow, that is some cottage! That’s bigger than the Twickham House kid.”

“Logan, we can’t accept this” Rory whispered to her new husband.

“We can’t turn it down Ace, my parents will be offended, plus, it’s not that big a deal to them” he shrugged.

“Not that big a deal? It’s millions of dollars!” she gasped. “Mitchum,” she said “We can’t…accept this”

“Something wrong with it?” he asked.

“No…I mean, I love it, it’s, wow, it’s so beautiful but…” Rory said as she looked at the picture of the gorgeous detached house with its breathtaking sea views and its own dedicated access to the sandy beach below. She could totally imagine being there with their children in a few years - swimming, boating, fishing and just enjoying the beautiful sunsets. It was the perfect place to spend time s a family.

“Then just accept it and enjoy it,” Mitchum said “Besides, it’s not a completely selfless gift…it’s only a few doors down from our house and Shira is looking forward to spending lots of summers with the grandchildren. Aren’t you Shira?” he laughed.

“Okay…well, I guess….thank you” Rory said feeling slightly overwhelmed at the generosity of her in-laws. It all still felt a little strange given how adamant they had been about her not being the right girl for Logan.

\-------

Before long it was time for them to be whisked off to the airport for their honeymoon so they said their goodbyes and climbed into the limo outside that was waiting with their luggage.

“Are you really not going to tell me where we are going on our honeymoon Logan?” Rory said as the limo pulled up alongside the Huntzberger’s private jet which was ready and waiting to whisk them away.

“Nope, not yet anyway,” he said as they got out the car and walked up the steps of the jet.

Logan had insisted that he be the one to organize the honeymoon and he wanted it to be a surprise for Rory. She had been to Italy before but she had really fallen in love with it the last time they had been there together and this time he was taking her to somewhere she’d never been. After all the stress and hassle of the wedding preparations, he was really looking forward to them spending a blissful week completely alone.

“Ugh, you are so frustrating Huntzberger!” Rory pouted as they took their seats on the jet.

“But you love me,” he said as he picked up her hand and kissed it.

“Lucky you for you, I do” she laughed.

\----- 

A/N: Thanks for all the lovely comments about the wedding - I rewarded you with more smut, ha!


	38. In Fair Verona

“So are you going to tell me yet? We must almost be there by now?” Rory said impatiently after waking from the long nap she had taken. Logan had sat watching her as she had peacefully slept for a few hours on the journey, exhausted from the activities of the past few days.

“Italy” Logan smiled.

“Italy?” Rory said surprised. She had visited Italy with Logan before and had loved every minute it of it, it had quickly become one of her favorite places in the world. “Where? Rome?”

Logan shook his head.

“Florence,” she asked.

“Nope” he laughed.

“Ugh, will you just tell me already! We could be here all day, at least give me a clue.” Rory begged.

“Okay, well it’s the backdrop to one the most famous love stories in the world…”

“Verona!” Rory squealed “Oh I’ve always wanted to go to Verona,” she said happily.

“I know” Logan smiled. As soon as he’d thought of Verona he knew that it was the right decision – Rory had mentioned many times about her desire to go there.

“Good choice Huntzberger,” she said as she snuggled into him excitedly.

“And look, here’s a present for you,” he said diving into his bag and handing her a guidebook that he had picked up for her.

“Ooh!” she said as she excitedly thumbed through it.

“I know how much you love to plan Ace” he laughed as she got busy marking out the things she wanted to see and do while they were there.

A little while later her sense of anticipation was heightened as their flight winged in over the city, it’s picturesque palazzos and piazzas clearly visible from the air.

“I’m so looking forward to just spending a few days together on our own” Rory said as she smiled at Logan and he pulled her in and kissed the top of her head.

\-----

The limo pulled up outside their hotel and the hotel staff greeted them, helping them with their luggage. The hotel Logan had selected was right in the heart of Verona, the hustle and bustle of city life just mere steps away. Rory felt a little buzz as Logan checked them in as ‘Mr and Mrs Huntzberger’, she really loved how it sounded. She’d never got used to being Mrs Attwood but her new married name? It just sounded so unbelievably perfect. They were quickly escorted to their suite, naturally the best they had to offer, with stunning views out over Verona.

As soon as the door to their suite was closed Logan immediately wrapped Rory in his arms and pulled her as close as he could. He started to kiss her gently and then the kisses swiftly became more forceful, their tongues meeting sensuously. Her whole body, though completely tired and worn out through a combination of travel and pregnancy, came alive at his touch.

"You're making me feel very naughty," Rory whispered in Logan’s ear as she pressed herself up against him. She could feel his arousal, which excited her even more "and I know you are too…”

"That's because I'm with the most beautiful woman in the world and you make it impossible for me to control myself,” Logan said, as Rory applied some pressure before she quickly broke away to find the bedroom.

Logan looked at Rory as she started to take off her clothes, pregnancy was having a fascinating impact on her – her breasts had grown and filled out and her usually flat stomach was slowly blooming, he noticed how she was constantly subconsciously touching it. Her skin was glowing and she looked happier than Logan could ever remember seeing her. Another big plus point for him? The very fact that she couldn’t keep her hands off him.

They’d always had a good sex life but this was something else altogether. She’d become even more uninhibited and had no problem with demanding sexual gratification whenever she wanted it. Rory would only have to wake Logan from sleeping, breathing gently in his ear “Logan, I need you…” and he was rendered completely helpless in every way.

"God, I love looking at your body," Logan said as she climbed onto the bed next to him and his hands glided over her body. "I want you so bad."

Rory pressed Logan down onto the bed and as she began undressing him he could see the desire in her brilliant blue eyes. He reached up to kiss her hungrily as she smiled down at him and ran her fingernails along his chest eliciting a soft groan of pleasure at her touch. She continued down his body, unbuttoning his trousers and sliding them, and his underwear, to the floor before moving back up his body, teasing the inside of his thighs with her tongue.

Logan moaned and whispered for her not to stop as he tangled his hands in her hair. Obligingly she slid her tongue up the length of his shaft and began circling the tip gently with her tongue. She looked up at him, he was watching her intently. Filled with confidence, she smiled at him and continued teasing him with her mouth as he moaned. Finally, she wrapped her lips around him and took him fully into her mouth. He gasped at the sensation as she began sucking harder and faster.

After a few minutes Logan knew he wouldn’t be able to contain himself any longer and as much as he was enjoying it, he knew that when he finally came he wanted it to be inside her. He stopped her and pulled her back up the bed to be next to him before he gently pushed two fingers inside her and started moving them in and out slowly.

Rory melted at his touch and groaned as he moved his fingers inside her tracing painfully slow circles with his thumb. "Oh...yes...please Logan" she panted. Within moments, her body began to shake "Oh God" was about all she was able to say as the wave of climax washed over her. As her orgasm passed and she relaxed, she pressed her body against his as she leaned over to kiss him. She ground her pelvis on his erection as her mouth pressed on his with a passion he felt radiating all through his body.

Logan could take no more and he moved them so that his body was on top of her and in one swift move he thrust into her. They both let out a gasp of relief and he moaned with the pleasure as they maintained intense eye contact with each other. His hands found her hips and they worked their hypnotic rocking movements together. Logan moved his mouth to her breast and took her nipple into his mouth sucking on it softly at first and then gently using his teeth to nibble making Rory gasp. The need surging within him, he slid his hands around her lower back and pulled her to him with each thrust as she locked her legs tightly around him and he finally gave into his release.

They broke away, breathlessly coming down from the ecstasy of their lovemaking. They looked at each other, there were no words needed. Everything that needed to be said could be told through their eyes, their intense love for each other was more than evident.

\-----

The next morning over a long leisurely breakfast Rory and Logan discussed all the things that they wanted to see and do while on their trip.

“So I looked at the guidebook…” Rory said excitedly.

“And attacked it ruthlessly with a highlighter pen from what I can see?” Logan joked.

Rory rolled her eyes at her husband. “First thing on our agenda, I really want to do the Romeo and Juliet Tour. We can go out with a local guide, they’ll give us all the historical background and take us to different places, you know like the balcony, the tomb and all that…” she rambled on.

“You realize it was just a story right Ace?” Logan said with a raised eyebrow.

“Ssh now” Rory scolded. “Then there’s the arena, the Castelvecchio bridge and oh we don’t want to miss the Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore.”

“Well, we ought to get going then Ace! Sounds like there’s lots to fit in.” Logan said finishing up his coffee.

After they left breakfast, Logan and Rory strolled hand-in-hand around the romantic Piazza Erbe, the oldest piazza in the city, which was surrounded by faded Renaissance-era buildings and an impressive Roman-style fountain in the center. They spent a few hours exploring the daily market and peaking into the historic buildings before finally stopping to take a look at the stunning ancient Roman amphitheater, Arena di Verona which dominated the city center.

In the late afternoon, they decided to take a break from all the sightseeing and just soak in the romantic ambience that was all around them. They grabbed a table outside one of the many coffee bars on the piazza and sat people watching for an hour or before the tiredness began to creep up on Rory and they headed back to the hotel for a short rest before dinner.

After a little nap, they got showered and started to get themselves ready for dinner. Rory changed into a form-fitting sapphire blue dress that clung to each and every one of her new curves. She was finally starting to feel less self-conscious about her growing baby bump which was mainly down to Logan’s ability to make her feel like she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

“Wow, my wife is super hot,” he said as she walked out of the bedroom fixing her diamond studs into place in her ears. Rory smiled as Logan wrapped his arms around her and kissed her gently. She responded by deepening the kiss with her tongue and let out a little moan as he moved the kisses to the sensitive spot on her neck. They were interrupted by the phone ringing and Logan broke away to take the call.

"I'm sorry,” he said as he replaced the handset “but that was the front desk. If we don’t leave now for dinner, we’re going to lose our reservation”

"But I'm not hungry anymore," Rory objected "I can't entice you to stay here?" she asked seductively.

"You could, probably quite easily. But we’re going to need to eat Ace. We’ve got to at least keep up our strength if we’re going to continue like this” Logan laughed. Every time he thought he had Rory figured out, she still always managed to surprise him and her sexual appetite right now was off the scale.

"Wow, Logan, are you struggling to keep up?" she teased in a whisper.

He grinned. "Absolutely not, but I think you’re definitely going to need more sustenance if we’re going to do all the things that I have in mind…”

"Promises, promises," she grinned as he slapped her on the bottom as they walked out of the hotel room.

Later that evening they stepped out to dinner at one of the many beautiful traditional Italian osteries overlooking the Adige River. Over dinner, the conversation had got more and more suggestive and Rory had decided to take it a step further, her stiletto-clad foot rubbing up Logan's leg and onto his groin.

“You know, we should probably just escape to the bathroom and get this over and done with” she giggled.

Logan laughed and took hold of her ankle under the table. “We could, but it’s so much more fun to make you wait”

“But that’s not fair,” Rory said as she pouted and stuck out her bottom lip “I don’t want to wait,” she said “I want you now” she whispered as she leaned over the table closer to him.

Logan took a deep breath. He was definitely feeling the heat in the restaurant and things at their table seemed to be getting hotter by the second. In the past, he wouldn’t have given a second thought to sneaking off to the bathroom for some light relief but tonight he was having fun teasing his wife. “Good things come to those who wait”

“Maybe the moment will pass and I won’t want it later” she shrugged.

“Oh, you will,” Logan said with a smirk.

“Or maybe I’ll get too impatient and will just have to take matters into my own hands,” she said as she bit her lip and twirled her hair around in her fingertips.

Logan raised an eyebrow at her “Now that I would definitely like to see”

\-----

The next morning Rory and Logan slept in late. Sunlight streamed in through a gap in the heavy curtains.

Rory woke Logan slowly, moving her hands down his body. “Morning baby” she smiled.

“Again?” he looked at her with a slightly stunned look.

“Why not” she shrugged “It’s our honeymoon”

“You are insatiable! You are going to kill me” Logan sighed but she could tell he was already hard and she tugged his underwear down.

Rory pulled off her shorts and tank top and threw them to the floor. She pulled Logan to her and he gently sucked on her nipples. She moaned and wrapped her legs around him and he slipped one hand down her waist, opening her legs. He slid his fingers into her, shocked at how wet she already was and pushed his fingers in harder and held her body tight against mine.

"I want you in my mouth," she said as she pulled away and moved down his body slightly to enable her to take him in her mouth, hungrily, moaning and sucking. He reached down and rubbed circles her wetness and she opened her legs up again, thrusting her hips into his open hand.

She let out a quiet moan that drove him absolutely crazy. "Get up here," he said as pulled her back up towards him. After a few minutes of breathless kissing, Rory moved to straddle Logan before allowing him to slowly slide inside her. She held still for a moment while they gazed into each other's eyes and she ran her hands across his chest before leaning down to kiss him hungrily as she started to grind against him intently. He moved his hands to her ass to pull her harder against him.

“You feel so good,” she said as she moved above him and grabbed his wrists to hold him tightly to the bed.

Logan loved this dominant side of Rory and responded by thrusting his hips upward in time with her movements. She was starting to moan the familiar sound that told him she was close to coming and he had no need to hold back.

Her orgasm caught her completely by surprise; She had rarely come so quickly before when there wasn’t fingers or tongue involved. She wanted to scream with pleasure but could only gasp out her ecstasy. After several moments of sheer exhausting pleasure, he increased the speed of his thrusts, and she heard him moan primordially as he spilled into her.

"Come here," Logan said as he pulled her down to him and wrapped them both in the bed sheets while their breathing slowed back down to its normal rate.

\-----

They spent the next few days much in the same way – a mix of sightseeing and relaxing as much as possible in between wild sessions of making love. One day they even took a trip to Lake Garda where Logan rented a boat for the day and they enjoyed a glorious lunch out on the water and later that day Logan had planned a special treat.

Logan took Rory to the Arena di Verona, somewhere that she had always wanted to visit. The arena was built in the first century and was still in constant use and internationally famous for the large-scale opera performances given there and for being one of the best preserved ancient structures of its kind. Rory was excited to finally be there and have the chance to see a performance.

They sat on the smooth stone steps, soaking up the atmosphere of the packed, roofless arena while they watched Verdi’s Aida being performed. All around members of the audience lit candles as the performance started and enjoyed picnics and bottles of wine while they enjoyed the opera. Rory and Logan were no different – cuddling up together and nibbling on the food Logan had arranged for them with an ice-cold bottle of non-alcoholic wine. From their vantage point, they were able to watch the sunset before the sky was blanketed with stars.

Rory thought it was possibly one of the most perfect and romantic nights of her entire life and a moment she never wanted to forget.

\-----

Before they knew it, all too soon their last night was upon them and it was time to get ready to head back home.

"It's such a beautiful evening," sighed Rory as she looked out on their hotel room balcony. "Bring the camera and let's go for a walk along the river," she said. Rory and Logan strolled hand in hand as they walked alongside the river, pausing every few steps to take in the scenery around them or to just simply stop and kiss when the moment struck them.

As they made their way along the river the came across a free bench so they sat down for a moment at the water’s edge.

“It’s been pretty much perfect hasn’t it,” Rory said as she looked out at the river. “I don’t want to go home,” she said sadly.

“It’s not over yet Ace,” Logan said as he pulled her over to him to kiss him. Their tongues slipped against each other, exploring one another's mouths with just as much passion and excitement as when they had first met.

As they lay down to sleep that night, Logan lay back on the bed thinking about just how awesome their honeymoon had been – it had outshone all his expectations. He’d rarely had days and nights like these before and as far as he was concerned they were just the first of many wonderful days to come. He thought about how lucky he was to have the intelligent, successful, beautiful and sexy Rory as his wife. She was an absolute dream, she was almost too good to be true and he knew that there never had been and never would be anyone else in the world for him.

\------ 

A/N: Aah another smut-filled chapter, the LAST smut-filled chapter might I add! Hope you enjoyed it?


	39. Changes

After the euphoria of the wedding and the honeymoon, of which Rory and Logan had certainly made sure to enjoy every moment, unfortunately, it was back to the reality of day-to-day life and back to work. Rory, ever the enthusiastic hard worker, was keen to put in as much time as she could before she had to leave to have the babies and so she threw herself into her work as much as possible over the next few months.

Even though as an overprotective father-to-be Logan would have preferred her to take a step back from her workload, he was never actually going to straight out ask her to do that. He trusted that she was fully aware of her own limits and hoped that as they edged nearer to the birth of their twins that she would try and take less on.

Logan had managed to avoid taking any lengthy business trips as he'd made it crystal clear to his father that he wanted to be around for Rory at all times. Mitchum had surprisingly accepted that was to be the situation for now though they both knew that it would be inevitable at some point. Rory and Logan had settled into a nice routine of meeting up for lunch and going for a stroll in Bryant Park just so they could get out of the office and get some fresh air. One such sunny afternoon they were walking through the park hand in hand when Rory suddenly stopped in her tracks as she saw a face she recognized walking in their direction.

"Oh, shit," Rory said as she squeezed Logan's hand tightly.

"What's the matter Ace?" he said turning to look at her, slightly concerned.

"There's James" she whispered as she saw her ex-husband walking towards her.

"Rory," James said as he saw her standing with Logan.

Logan looked at Rory. "I'll just go and get us some coffee," he said as he gestured over towards a nearby coffee kiosk.

"Thanks, Logan" she smiled at him gratefully, knowing that he was being diplomatic and making himself scarce to try and make this meeting a little easier on her.

"Hi, James," Rory said nervously, offering a small smile. The last time they had seen each other was in court and it felt extremely awkward to be standing in front of him right now.

"So, how have you been?" James said.

"Erm, good" she nodded. "What about you? How is Tamara...and the baby?" she asked.

James shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the woman he had cheated on his wife with and the baby that had been conceived behind her back. "Oh well, we're not together...I mean we never really were you know that. The baby was a girl, Amber" he said.

"Oh, a girl, that's nice" Rory smiled.

"Yeah, it's kind of complicated, I really only see her once a week but..." James trailed off.

"Oh, I see," Rory said, not entirely sure what was the right thing to say in this situation. Luckily James must have sensed her awkwardness and quickly changed the conversation.

"I saw your wedding photos in the newspaper a month or two ago, you looked really good." James smiled. It had been pretty strange for him to see the woman who used to be his wife marrying somebody else. "It was pretty quick though..."

Rory bit her lip. "Yeah, I guess it was a little quick, I suppose a bit quicker than we had intended but well, as you might see, I'm pregnant" she gestured down to her tummy which had definitely popped out considerably in the past few weeks. There was definitely no hiding it now as she was so much further along in her pregnancy.

James had of course noticed, you would have had to have been blind not to, but he really hadn't wanted to be the one to say anything about it first. "Wow."

Rory nodded "with twins".

"Double wow! You'll certainly have your hands full then won't you." James smiled a little, pausing briefly before he spoke again "You look happy Rory"

"I am," she said quietly as she looked down at the floor. It was a difficult conversation to have with an ex, admitting that you were happier now than when you were with them. Rory looked up and she could see Logan approaching them again, he obviously felt like he had left them alone long enough.

"Well, I guess I had better get going," James said. "It was really nice to see you, Rory," he said to her as he started to walk away.

"James" Rory called to him and he turned back around to look at her. "I am really sorry you know...for everything"

He smiled at her "Me too" he said as he waved at her and walked away.

Logan walked up to Rory and put his arm around her waist. "Everything okay there?'

"Yeah" Rory nodded and smiled "Everything is good".

\-------

"But why do we need to move Logan, I love the apartment we have" Rory complained as they pulled up outside a large house in Hartford that Logan had wanted to show her.

"And we can keep that apartment Ace, but we really need a house for the children to grow up in, somewhere bigger, with a garden," Logan said as he turned off the engine on the car.

"The apartment is really close to work though. If we live here in Hartford we're going to spend so much time driving back and forth from the city, it doesn't really make much sense" Rory said.

"We don't have to base ourselves in Hartford all week long, we can just come back for weekends, it'll be good to get out of the city sometimes don't you think? Also, you're going to be taking some time off work, aren't you? So, you're not going to want to spend all that time in the city" Logan reasoned.

"I'm not sure. I haven't really thought about how much time I'll take off yet" she shrugged casually.

"You haven't?" Logan questioned, a little taken aback.

"Not really. I mean obviously, I'll have to take a little time off to start with but ideally I'd like to get back to work as soon as possible" she said.

"That's crazy!" Logan said.

"What is?" Rory looked at him, surprised at his sudden outburst.

"You can't just rush back to work, what about the babies?" Logan asked.

"We can get some help in, we can afford it right?" Rory said, her tone a little snippy, which didn't go unnoticed by Logan.

"I thought that you were opposed to that," He said with a sigh. "Remember? You said you didn't want someone else bringing up your children..."

"Okay, well maybe daddy could stay home and look after them instead, we do live in a modern world after all," she said sarcastically.

Logan rubbed his hand over his head "You know that's not..." he paused and shook his head. "What is the matter with you?"

"What's the matter with me?" she looked at him incredulously. "Your life isn't going to change very much is it Logan? I don't want to live here in Hartford away from the office. I like our life in the city. I like our apartment and I like my job. I don't want to walk away from any of that."

"Both our lives are going to change Rory, they have to change. We're having two babies! And of course mine will change, it already has! Okay, maybe it won't be as drastic as yours, but it's still going to be a big adjustment for both of us" Logan said.

"I've worked really hard to get to where I am at work Logan. If I take a long period of time off, I am just going to set myself back..." she said starting to get a bit emotional. "You don't understand what that is like, you never will."

Logan reached out to comfort her but she pushed his hand away.

"Don't....I don't want to talk about it" she said as she looked out of the window and turned away from Logan. He sighed and turned the key in the ignition of the car.

"What are you doing?" she asked, "I thought you wanted to look at this house."

"There's no point doing this now Rory," he said as he pulled away from the property and they drove back to the city in silence.

\------

"Rory, can I come in?"

The voice interrupted Rory as she was sitting at her desk looking over some layouts. Rory looked up to see Mitchum was standing by her office door.

"Sure," she said moving to get out of her chair.

"Oh don't get up on my account," Mitchum said as he walked over to look out of the window.

Rory watched her father-in-law move around the room. She still was not entirely comfortable in his company and she couldn't help but wonder what had prompted him to come and see her. "Is everything okay Mitchum?"

"I was talking with Logan yesterday," he said as he turned to face her.

"Oh?" Rory said intrigued.

"Yeah, he told me that you were planning on coming straight back to work after having the children and that you didn't really want to take any time out," Mitchum said.

"Oh," Rory said suddenly feeling quite annoyed with her husband. She couldn't believe that he would talk to his father, of all people, about their personal situation.

The truth was Logan hadn't actually gone to his father to discuss Rory's work life, more that it had just come up in a conversation when Logan had been talking to Mitchum about a move to Hartford. He had been frustrated at the time he was talking to him and it had all just come tumbling out.

"Now, look, don't get pissed with him, he's just worried about you that's all," Mitchum said as he sat down opposite her at the desk.

"Why do you even care?" she said honestly before cursing herself for being so blunt. The pregnancy hormones seemed to have switched off her internal filter.

Mitchum shrugged "I can see why you would think I have no reason to care, but those babies, they are my grandchildren. Family is very important Rory, you know that. Logan, you, your children...you're the future of this company."

Rory chewed on her cheek nervously and looked down as she twiddled her wedding and engagement rings around on her finger.

"Rory, I know it was somewhat of a contentious issue with Shira that you wanted to work and have a career, and nobody is saying that you can't do that. Hell, I think we need you. Logan is a better man with you by his side but this isn't about anyone saying you can't work, this is about making sure that you take enough time out" Mitchum said.

Rory was surprised by his tone, which seemed sympathetic to her cause. "But I still want to write a little and get involved with the newspaper, I honestly think I'll go crazy without it Mitchum..." Rory admitted. "I love working"

"And we can work something out, but take the time off and don't worry about it. When you're ready there's always going to be a job, you're a Huntzberger. Now you're married to Logan, you already own some of the company, nobody is going to be pushing you out of your job.... Just think about it, Rory." Mitchum said as he got up and left her office.

Rory had never really thought of any of it in that way. Sure, she had known that Logan had significant holdings in Huntzberger Media but she still really only considered herself an employee of the company rather than part of the family that owned it. She guessed Mitchum was right. While she was still incredibly hesitant to take time away from her career, in the long run, it probably wouldn't hurt it too much and she was having an internal struggle wondering just how well she was going to juggle twins at the same time as her intense job.

Maybe a taking a year off wouldn't be so bad, and a move to Hartford would mean she was nearer her mom, her grandparents and Honor which would be nice. She really felt like she needed to speak to Logan about it all but he was out at meetings for the day so Rory left a message on his voicemail to meet her in Hartford later that evening.

\-------

Rory waited outside the address that Logan had brought her to the other day. Finally, he pulled up in his Porsche and stepped out of the car.

"What are we doing here" he looked at her quizzically.

"Looking around this house that you wanted to buy" she shrugged. "You still want it right?"

"Yes, but..." Logan said confused.

"Well, let's go then," she said as she turned on her heel towards the house.

"Rory, wait." Logan said "I really don't want to get into another fight about this with you. If you want to stay in the city, get a nanny for the babies and carry on working full time, then that's what we do" he said.

"Logan..." she tried to interrupt him.

"No, Rory. We promised in our wedding vows to support each other and this is me supporting you" he said firmly.

"Logan, you were right," Rory said quietly.

"What?" Logan looked at her suspiciously.

Rory sighed "Your dad came to talk to me today – and let me just start this conversation by saying that I am not happy by any stretch of the imagination that you spoke to him about us" she said sternly "but look I was just so worried about stepping out of my career, that it was going to set me back and I was going to have to claw my way back to my position that I did kind of overlook the fact that I was married to the boss" she said slipping her arms around his neck.

Logan smiled "Well, there are definitely some perks to that" he agreed.

"Yeah" Rory smiled "Though you know I am no fan of nepotism"

"It's not nepotism when you've earned it Ace. You got that job on your own, long before I came on the scene" he said kissing her on top of the head.

"So are we going to look at this house or not?" Rory said as she tugged him through the gate.

Rory and Logan spent an hour wandering around the house with the realtor. After looking around it, Rory thought Logan was stretching the truth about it being a house when it was more akin to a mansion with its nine bedrooms, huge remodeled kitchen and wine cellar. Originally built in 1928 as a Tudor Revival home it offered sweeping views of the Hartford skyline, acres of manicured lawns and a huge swimming pool.

"What do you think?" Logan turned to Rory to see what her opinion of the house was.

"Logan, it has a guest house. A guest house that is bigger than my childhood home" Rory said exasperatedly.

"Aside from that?" Logan laughed and rolled his eyes.

"I love it" she admitted, "Though I'm not sure what we're going to need nine bedrooms for..."

"All those babies we're going to be making" Logan winked as she pulled her in close.

"Hang on mister, let's get these two out before we start thinking about making any more!" she laughed.

Logan smiled "So.... are we going to take it?"

Rory smiled and took one last look around. It was an absolutely beautiful family home, definitely more than triple the size they actually needed it to be but Logan's unofficial motto always had been 'Go big or go home'. Why would he change that now? It was definitely somewhere that they could say with confidence would be their forever home, somewhere they could see their children grow up and maybe even their grandchildren, and she kind of loved that about it.

"Yes, let's do it!"

\------

A/N: Hope the last chapter wasn't too smut filled for you! I might have got a little carried away... Just one chapter left to go, and now I am feeling sad!


	40. And Then There Were Four

Rory woke early that morning at exactly 36 weeks pregnant desperately needed to pee as she did most days at the moment. She was just trying to heave herself out of bed gently without waking Logan who was sleeping soundly next to her when she felt a small pop and a little bit of water splashed to the floor. While up until that moment she had been moving carefully so as to not disturb her husband, the shriek that she let out as she felt the water come out of her body woke him with a start.

"Ace," he said groggily lifting his head to look up at her. "Are you okay?"

"I...yes I think so, but I'm not sure if my waters have just gone or I just peed myself a little" she grimaced.

"What?" he said sitting up.

"I know, that was too much information wasn't it?" Rory wrinkled her nose "Just what every man wants to hear from his wife...that she's incontinent".

Logan smiled a little but looked at her with concern. "Do you think we should call the doctor?"

"I don't know, I mean I feel fine" she shrugged. "It's probably nothing"

"Probably," he said but Logan insisted on calling the doctor anyhow, who told them that they should come in for a quick check over if they were worried at all.

The doctor came by to see them and gave them a little information about the premature rupture of membranes and the risk of infection but on examining her, she thought that there was a pretty good chance that Rory would go into labour quite soon. Rory was monitored for a little while and the CTG machine was starting to pick up some tightenings but nothing that was too uncomfortable for Rory to handle. The doctor confirmed that both babies were in a great position and there was no reason why the birth couldn't progress naturally so they went home for a little bit to try and relax, knowing that they were in for some excitement imminently.

Rory had a short nap on the bed before she woke up as the tightenings started to get a little more painful. Logan started timing the contractions but after an extremely intense one that lasted nearly two minutes he knew that it was time to get her to the hospital as she was really having to breathe through them now. Logan grabbed the hospital bag and called the car round to collect them. For the last time as a family of two, they left their apartment hand in hand.

By the time they got to the hospital the contractions were coming thick and fast – they were incredibly strong with barely a break coming between them. The nurse got Rory settled onto a bed before running some checks to see how dilated she was and to monitor the heartbeats of the babies. After a few moments the nurse smiled gently at Logan and Rory "The heartbeat seems a little slow for one of your babies, I'm just going to get the doctor to have a listen" She registered the worried look on their faces "Don't panic, this is quite normal" she said trying to reassure them.

A few minutes later the nurse reentered the room with the doctor who studied the charts and listened to the babies heartbeat before making a decision.

"Rory," the doctor said, "One of the babies seems to be in a little distress, everything is okay right now but given that you're only 6cm dilated at this point, I think that the best course of action would be to take you through for a c-section okay?"

"Okay" Rory nodded not able to say many words as she experienced another contraction but as they wheeled her towards the operating room she started to panic a little when they explained that Logan would have to stay outside while the team administered the spinal anesthetic. More than anything, she didn't want to be separated from Logan and she started to cry as she got more worked up.

Rory looked at Logan, seeking support, however, Logan himself was afraid. He wanted to be strong for Rory but what it came down to it, in that moment all that he wanted was for his wife and babies to be safe but everything felt so out of his control. He knew he had to put on a brave face for her sake though.

"Hey Ace, don't worry, I'll be right out here okay and I'll see you in just a minute" Logan squeezed her hand "Everything is going to be fine," He said as he bent down to kiss her.

Logan stood outside the operating theater, a million thoughts running through his head. He felt totally powerless but all he could do was wait for someone to come and tell him what to do next. He was at a complete loss.

Inside the theater, a lovely nurse called Helen took hold of Rory's hand. "I'll look after you okay?" she said.

As she sat sideways on the operating table with her back exposed, Helen sat with Rory holding her hands as she leaned forehead to forehead with her and talked her through everything. Rory was so very grateful for the caring support that this nurse was able to offer her. It didn't take long for the anesthesia to begin to take effect and once Rory began to relax a little, Logan was able to come back into the room to be with her while they started the procedure.

It felt like an hour had passed while Logan waited outside, but in reality, he knew it was probably only a couple of minutes before a nurse appeared and lead him into the theater. When he walked in, the first thing he noticed was that it was full of medical staff with a bewildered looking Rory lying in the middle of the room.

Logan went straight over to her and held her hand tightly. "It's okay, I'm here now," he said as she smiled weakly at him.

Rory could hear the doctor talking through the operation but she was feeling a little woozy and disorientated from the drugs and couldn't really focus on what he was saying. She just felt so weak and tired and completely overwhelmed with the situation but before too long she heard a little cry that brought her back into the room. She looked up at Logan and though she couldn't see his mouth because it was covered with the hospital mask, she could see the happiness and tears in his eyes.

"Baby A is a boy" she heard someone announce "six pounds two ounces". Rory barely had time to take in the information before there was another cry "We've got another boy, four pounds eleven ounces" the nurse smiled.

Logan squeezed Rory's hand happily and he bent down to kiss her on her head while their babies were whisked to the other side of the room for their initial checks.

The nurse Helen came back over to Rory "They're both absolutely perfect. We're just going to get you tidied up and then you can have a cuddle with them, Mommy. Daddy, you want to come have a hold?" she asked Logan.

Logan nervously followed the nurse over to where his two sons were resting in a crib. She carefully handed him one and then the other. With a baby nestled under each arm, he walked slowly over to Rory so that she could have her first look at them.

She smiled up at him "And then there were four"

"Double trouble" Logan winked.

Rory groaned weakly "Three Huntzberger men to try and keep under control. I must have been very bad in a previous life".

\-------

Rory was moved to her private room where she was able to sit up a little in bed and take a proper look at her children before they decided on their names. After a lot of talking and after deliberately deciding to eschew any form of family or traditional name they opted for names they just happened to like and went with Leo and Max for their newborn sons.

Leo had a soft covering of fair hair while Max had a healthy crop of dark hair, just like Rory. It seemed incredible to her that they had actually made them and she had been carrying these two little beings around inside of her for almost nine months.

Logan sat looking at the scene before him – his beautiful wife Rory holding their two sons. He knew in that moment that he felt completely bonded to her in a way that he had never felt before. She was the mother of his children and he loved her with everything he had in him – he always had but somehow, it felt different now.

"Are you ready for a visitor?" a voice said as a head popped around the door.

"Mom!" Rory smiled happily.

"Hey Lorelai, come in," Logan said.

Lorelai glanced in at the little family. Her daughter lying in the bed with one baby sleeping soundly next to her in a crib while Logan sat gently cradling the other little boy. She felt a lump form in her throat.

"Wow Rory, just look at them," Lorelai said with tears in her eyes. "I can't believe that you made those."

"Well I certainly helped them to grow but it wasn't all me, Logan definitely played a big part in the making of them..." Rory laughed.

"Eww, Rory. Mommy does not need to know about that" Lorelai pulled a face.

"Do you want to hold this little guy?" Logan asked. "This is Leo"

Lorelai nodded and took the baby carefully out of Logan's arms. She thought it was the weirdest feeling in the world – holding the baby of her own baby. It only felt like yesterday that Rory had been that small.

"Hey, little man" Lorelai whispered "Oh he's just perfect, isn't he? Congratulations guys" she smiled. "How are you feeling Rory?"

"Honestly? A bit like a truck ran over my body right after a great white shark bit me in half" Rory said. Logan perched on the edge of the bed next to her and put his arm around her gently and she rested her head on his shoulder

"That good huh?" Lorelai smiled at the couple. She had to admit that while she'd had her doubts, Logan and Rory just looked so happy and comfortable with each other.

"My c-section scar is really hurting" Rory complained.

Logan thought he'd give the two women a moment alone together. "I'll go and get some drinks for us shall I? Coffee?"

"Well duh," Lorelai said with a smile. She waited until Logan had left the room. "So, you guys look really happy"

"We are" Rory nodded. "Happier than I ever thought we could be. Logan is..." she trailed off "...he's just amazing in every way. He's really been there for me throughout this, you know?"

"There goes the Harlequin romance face again" Lorelai joked. "Seriously. I'm glad kid, you deserve to be happy" she smiled "and I deserve to have lots and lots of cuddles with these beautiful boys," Lorelai said as she stooped to gently rub noses with Leo.

\-----

After a few days in the hospital, it was ready for Logan to take Rory and is boys to home. Rory was more than a little nervous about having to face the big bad world on their own, outside of the safety of having doctors and nurses on hand twenty-four hours of the day but she knew that she couldn't stay there forever. Logan was going to take a few weeks off work to help them all settle in at home so while she was a little apprehensive she was also excited about starting their life together as a family.

As they walked into their apartment together, each with their arms wrapped around a baby, they stopped to kiss each other just before they stepped over the threshold.

"Are you ready to do this?" Logan said with a raised eyebrow.

"In Omnia Paratus!" Rory laughed.

\-----

A/N: And that's a wrap! I hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I've had some truly lovely comments about it which I haven't always felt worthy of but they've got me writing so thank you very very much. I've already started work on my next story which is called "All Too Well". The first chapter of this is live now – so please do keep your eye out for it as I hope you'll read and enjoy that one too! Thanks again – you guys are awesome!


End file.
